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The Record of Singing: The Very Best of Volumes 1-4 (1899-1952)

Label: EMI

Cat No: 2289562

Barcode: 5099922895622

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 10

Release Date: 9th February 2009

This product has now been deleted. Information is for reference only.

About

EMI Classics is proud to announce a very special release called The Record of Singing, devoted to the art of singing on record over the past century. This set of 20 CDs is divided into two boxes of 10 discs: the first goes from the earliest vocal recordings in 1899 up to 1952, when the era of the 78 rpm shellac record effectively ended; the second covers the period 1953 to 2007, from the introduction of the vinyl LP record to the digital era and the CD.

The recordings in the first part are all taken from the original four volumes of The Record of Singing, issued by EMI on LP between 1977 and 1989, and those in the second part have all been specially selected for this project. All the transfers of tracks from the original Record of Singing albums have been newly re-processed at Abbey Road to improve the sound even further using the latest audio restoration technology.

The first part retains the same broad headings used in the four Record of Singing sets such as ‘The Old School’, ‘English-Speaking Singers’, ‘The Emergence of Verismo’, etc, and the second part is divided mainly into broad periods of around 20 years, and then the singers are grouped by voice type in roughly chronological order.

The set begins with recordings of enormous historical importance that preserve the art of a number of singers from the so-called ‘golden age’ at the end of the 19th century, whose careers largely pre-dated the beginning of sound recording: these include Adelina Patti, Lilli Lehmann, Sir Charles Santley, Victor Maurel, Édouard de Reske and Francesco Tamagno. Then comes a generation of stars whose careers ran parallel to the development of the gramophone, foremost among them being Enrico Caruso and Dame Nellie Melba. The selection of artists includes all the great names of the past whose records were found in the collections of all discerning music lovers: Beniamino Gigli, Amelita Galli-Curci, Luisa Tetrazzini, Giovanni Martinelli, Tito Schipa, Jussi Björling, Lotte Lehmann, Lauritz Melchior and many others.

The second part ushers in a new golden age of major stars like Maria Callas, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Victoria de los Angeles, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Nicolai Gedda and Boris Christoff and then goes on to the following generations of big names such as Franco Corelli, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Montserrat Caballé, Mirella Freni and several hundred more, coming right up to the stars of today like Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Rolando Villazón, Natalie Dessay and many others.

In general, each of the selected singers appears only once, so this set represents a selective overview of singing on record from 1899 to 2007 and is not intended as an exhaustive or comprehensive study of the subject, which would require many more CDs than the 20 presented here. But it does allow the listener to compare and evaluate the voices and singing styles of the whole of the 20th century, as well as to marvel at the development of sound recording from the primitive sounds of the earliest shellac discs through subsequent developments such as the introduction of electrical recording in 1925, the arrival of tape recording in 1949 and the introduction of stereo in 1955, right up to the sophisticated refinement of today’s digital technology.

The Very Best of Volumes 1-4 (From 1899 to the end of the 78 era: 1899-1952)
VOLUME 1: 1899–1919

Compact Disc 1
The Castrato Voice
Allesandro Moreschi, castrato
1. Bach-Gounod: Ave Maria
with piano accompaniment and violin obbligato
Recorded: IV.1904, Sistine Chapel, Rome

The Old School
Adelina Patti, soprano
2. Bellini: Ah! non credea (La sonnambula, Act III)
Alfredo Barili, piano
VI.1906, Craig-y-Nos, Wales

Emma Albani, soprano
3. Chaminade: L’Éte
c1904, London

Marcella Sembrich, soprano ∙ Emma Eames, soprano
4. Mozart: Sull’aria…Che soave zeffiretto (Le nozze di Figaro, Act III)
25.I.1908, Camden, New York

Nellie Melba, soprano
5. Bemberg: Les Anges pleurent
Gabriel Lapierre, piano
4.X.1913, Camden, New York

Ellen Beach Yaw, soprano
6. Auber: C’est l’histoire amoureuse (Manon Lescaut, Act I)
with piano accompaniment
11.III.1899, London

Blanche Marchesi, soprano
7. Goldschmidt: Im Mai
Bruno Seidler-Winkler, piano
1906, Berlin

English-Speaking Singers
Lillian Nordica, soprano
8. Erkel: Ah rebéges, a mi vadúl (Hunyadi László)
Romayne Simmons, piano
23.V.1907, USA

Geraldine Farrar, soprano
9. Tosti: Mattinata
with piano accompaniment
1904, Berlin

Louise Homer, contralto
10. Gluck: Away with mourning and crying (Orfeo)
with piano accompaniment
2.XI.1903, New York

Sir Charles Santley, baritone
11. Hatton: Simon the Cellarer
with piano accompaniment
8.VI.1903, London

Sir George Henschel, baritone
12. Schumann: Ich grolle nicht (Dichterliebe) ∙ Lied eines Schmiedes
Sir George Henschel, piano (P) 1977
19.I.1914, Hayes, Middlesex

Emilio de Gogorza, baritone
13. Offenbach: Sérénade (La Chanson de Fortunio)
Orchestra / Josef Pasternack
23.X.1916, Camden, New York

The French
Victor Maurel, baritone
14. Verdi: Era la notte (Otello, Act II)
with piano accompaniment
XI.1904, Milan

Charles Gilibert, baritone
15. Blangini: Per valli, per boschi
Nellie Melba, soprano
Orchestra / Walter B.Rogers
28.III.1907, Camden, New York

Pol Plançon, bass
16. Godard: Embarquez-vous?
with piano accompaniment
VIII.1902, London

Édouard de Reszke, bass
17. Flotow: Chi mi dira (The Porter Song) (Martha, Act III)
Charles A. Prince, piano
1903, USA

Emma Calvé, soprano
18. Bizet: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Carmen, Act I)
Remualdo Sapio, piano
6.VI.1916, Camden, USA

Félia Litvinne, soprano
19. Verdi: Les mots sacrés (Aida, Act I)
with piano accompaniment
1905, Paris

Mary Garden, soprano
20. Massenet: Liberté ! (Le Jongleur de Notre Dame)
21.III.1911, New York

The Emergence of Verismo
Mattia Battistini, baritone
21. Tosti: Amour, amour
Carlo Sabajno, piano
2.VI.1911, Milan

Antonio Scotti, baritone
22. Donizetti: Come Paride vezzoso (L’elisir d’amore, Act I)
with piano accompaniment
2.III.1905, New York

Giuseppe de Luca, baritone
23. Cilea: Bene! Benissimo! (Adriana Lecouvreur, Act I)
Francesco Cilea, piano
12.XII.1902, Milan

Antonio Pini-Corsi, baritone
24. Donizetti: Udite! Udite! (L’elisir d’amore, Act I)
1912, Milan

Pasquale Amato, baritone
25. Verdi: Questa dunque (I due Foscari, Act III)
15.VI.1911, Milan

Titta Ruffo, baritone
26. Thomas: O vin, discaccia la tristezza (Brindisi) (Hamlet, Act II)
Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Carlo Sabajno
1907, Milan

Compact Disc 2
Fernando di Lucia, tenor
1. Ricciardi: Luna-lù
21.V.1909, Naples

Alessandro Bonci, tenor
2. Gluck: Spiagge amate (Paride ed Elena, Act I)
with piano accompaniment
II.1905, Milan

Francesco Tamagno, tenor
3. Verdi: Niun mi tema (Otello, Act IV)
with piano accompaniment (P) 1977
7-11.II.1903, Varese

Giovanni Zenatello, tenor
4. Giordano: Colpito qui m’avete…Un dì all’azzuro spazio
(Andrea Chénier, Act I)
with piano accompaniment
15.II.1906, Milan

Enrico Caruso, tenor
5. Donizetti: Una furtive lagrima (L’elisir d’amore, Act II)
Salvatore Cottone, piano
11.IV.1902, Milan

Medea Mei-Figner, soprano
6. Tchaikovsky: It is midnight (The Queen of Spades, Act III)
Sung in Russian with piano accompaniment
XI.1901. St Petersburg

Olimpia Boronat, soprano
7. Gianelli: La via, o Dio...E lo sapevi (Olga)
1908, Milan

Gemma Bellincioni, soprano
8. Mascagni: Voi lo sapete, o mamma (Cavalleria rusticana)
with piano accompaniment
X.1903, Milan

Rosina Storchio, soprano
9. Leoncavallo: Mimì Pinson (La bohème, Act I)
2.II.1911, Milan

Luisa Tetrazzini, soprano
10. Gounod: O d’amor messagera (Mireille)
5.VII.1909, London

Wagner and the German Style
Marie Gutheil-Schoder, soprano
11. Boieldieu: Ce domaine (La Dame Blanche, Act II)
Franz Naval, tenor ∙ with piano accompaniment
1902, Vienna

Frieda Hempel, soprano
12. Donizetti: In tiefem Schweigen (Lucia di Lammermoor, Act I)
Orchestra / Herr Kark
X.1907, Berlin

Selma Kurz, soprano
13. Verdi: Caro nome (Rigoletto, Act I)
1905, Vienna

Lilli Lehmann, soprano
14. Mozart: Or sai chi l’onore (Don Giovanni, Act I)
with piano accompaniment
1906, Berlin

Anna Bahr-Mildenburg, soprano
15. Weber: Ozean, du Ungeheuer! (Oberon, Act II)
with piano accompaniment
1904, Vienna

Johanna Gadski, soprano
16. Mozart: In quali eccessi…Mi tradì (Don Giovanni, Act II)
29.IX.1910, Camden, New York

Emmy Destinn, soprano
17. Smetana: Jac je mi (Dalibor, Act II)
1908, Berlin

Ernestine Schumann-Heink, contralto
18. Arditi: Leggiero invisibile (Bolero)
24.VII.1907, Camden, New York

Hermann Winkelmann, tenor
19. Smetana: Blickst du, mein Freund (Dalibor, Act I)
with piano accompaniment
1905, Vienna

Leo Slezak, tenor
20. Goldmark: Magische Töne (Die Königen von Saba, Act II)
with piano accompaniment
1905, Vienna

Anton van Rooy, baritone
21. Wagner: Leb’ wohl, du kühnes, herrlisches Kind (Die Walküre, Act III)
with piano accompaniment
1902, London

Singers of Imperial Russia
Antonina Nezhdanova, soprano
22. Rimsky-Korsakov: Hymn to the Sun (The Golden Cockerel, Act 2)
Sung in Russian
28.I.1910, Moscow

Nicolai Figner, tenor
23. Tchaikovsky: I swear before God and thee (The Opritchnik)
Sung in Russian with piano accompaniment
XI.1901, St Petersburg

Leonid Sobinov, tenor
24. Gretchaninov: Flowers were blooming (Dobrynia Nikitich)
Sung in Russian
6.II.1910, Moscow

Compact Disc 3
Lev Sibiriakov, bass
1.Tchaikovsky: My Lord, if I offend (Iolanthe)
Sung in Russian
1910, Russia • Max Hampe • 4909r (4-22016)

VOLUME 2: 1914–1925

Russian Revolution
Feodor Chaliapin, bass
2. Meyerbeer: Le rovine...Suore, che riposate (Robert le diable, Act III)
Orchestra / Rosario Bourdon
3.I.1924, Camden, New York

Dimitri Smirnov, tenor
3. Napravnik: O give me oblivion (Doubrovsky) Sung in Russian
19.X.1912, Moscow

The French Tradition in Decline
Fernand Ansseau, tenor
4. Meyerbeer: Pays merveilleux…O paradis (L’Africaine, Act IV)
21.X.1921, Paris

Dinh Gilly, baritone
5. Diaz: Il est venu ce jour de lutte (La Coupe du roi de Thulé)
24.VIII.1924, Hayes, Middlesex

Marcel Journet, bass
6. Gounod: Sous les pieds (La Reine de Saba, Act I)
11.I.1912, Camden, New York

Jean-Emile Vanni Marcoux, bass
7. Fevrier: Ce n’est pas un vieillard (Monna Vanna)
Orchestra / Piero Coppola
6.X.1924, Paris

Marie-Louise Edvina, soprano
8. Charpentier: Depuis le jour (Louise, Act III)
Orchestra / Percy Pitt
5.XI.1919, Hayes, Middlesex

Fanny Heldy, soprano
9. Dupont: Air de l’Oasis (Antar)
1921

Gabrielle Ritter-Ciampi, soprano
10. Masse: Variations du Carneval de Venise
1923

The Heyday of Verismo
Claudia Muzio, soprano
11. Cilea: Del sultano Amuratte...Io son l’umile ancella (Adriana Lecouvreur, Act I)
29.IV.1921

Carmen Melis, soprano
12. Massenet: Ah, mi rendi il tuo cor ...La tua mano non è (Manon, Act III)
c1924, Milan

Gilda Dalla-Rizza, soprano
13. Mascagni: Questo mio bianco manto (Isabeau)
c1915, Milan

Amelita Galli-Curci, soprano
14. Bellini: A te diletta...Come per me sereno...Sovra il sen (La sonnambula, Act I)
Orchestra / Josef Pasternack
21.VI.1920 & 23.IX.1919, Camden, New York

Elvira de Hidalgo, soprano
15. Yradier: La perla de Triana
with piano accompaniment
16.X.1908

Lucrezia Bori, soprano
16. Wolf-Ferrari: O gioia la nube (Il segreto di Susanna)
23.XI.1921

Beniamino Gigli, tenor
17. Boito: Dai campi, dai prati (Mefistofele, Act I)
14.X.1918, Milan

Hipolito Lazaro, tenor
18. Bellini: Vieni fra queste braccia (I puritani, Act III)
1.V.1916, New York

Miguel Fleta, tenor
19. Bizet: Il fior che avevi a me (Carmen, Act II)
Orchestra / Carlo Sabajno
17.IV.1922, Milan

Bernado de Muro, tenor
20. Giordano: Un dì all’azzuro spazio (Andrea Chénier, Act I)
Orchestra / Carlo Sabajno
1.III.1912, Milan

Compact Disc 4
Giovanni Martinelli, tenor
1. Verdi: Mercé, diletti amici...Come rugiada al cespite (Ernani, Act I)
Orchestra / Walter B. Rogers
27.IV.1915, Camden, New York

Renato Zanelli, baritone
2. Donizetti: A tanto amor (La Favorita, Act III)
Orchestra / Josef Pasternack
10.X.1919, Camden, New York

Riccardo Stracciari, baritone
3. Franchetti: Orsù, finiam...Ascolta, io morirò! (Germania)
8.II.1909, Milan

Singers from the English-Speaking World
Frances Alda, soprano
4. Catalani: Ah! dunque ei m’amerà (Loreley)
4.IV.1912, Camden, New York

Alma Gluck, soprano
5. Loewe: War schöner als der schönste Tag (Canzonetta)
Francis Lapitino, harp • Orchestra / Richard Hageman
26.IX.1916, Camden, New York

Eva Gauthier, soprano
6. Duparc: Chanson triste
with piano accompaniment
c1917

Mabel Garrison, soprano
7. Halevy: Call me thine own (L’Eclair)
Orchestra / Josef Pasternack
18.II.1920, Camden

Rosa Ponselle, soprano
8. Verdi: Surta è la notte...Ernani, Ernani involami (Ernani, Act I)
Orchestra / Rosario Bourdon
11.XII.1923, Camden

Florence Easton, soprano
9. Puccini: O mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi)
1918

Charles Hackett, tenor
10. Puccini: Che gelida manina (La bohème, Act I)
24.II.1924, London

Edward Johnson, tenor
11. Wrighton: Her bright smile haunts me still
Orchestra / Josef Pasternack
8.XII.1919, Camden

Alfred Piccaver, tenor
12. Weber: So soll denn dieses Herz (Silvana, Act I)
VII.1920, Vienna

Joseph Hislop, tenor
13. Pinsuti: Queen of the earth
with piano accompaniment
18.VI.1914

Gervase Elwes, tenor
14. Henschel: Morning Hymn
with piano accompaniment
III.1912

John McCormack, tenor
15. Rachmaninov: Before my window Op.26 No.10
Fritz Kreisler, violin • Edwin Schneider, piano
24.IX.1924, Hayes, Middlesex

Reinald Werrenrath, baritone
16. Scarlatti: O cessate di piagarmi (Il Pompeo)
Orchestra / Ted Levy
24.IX.1914, Camden, New York

Peter Dawson, baritone • Robert Radford, bass
17. Handel: The Lord is a man of war (Israel in Egypt)
Orchestra / George W. Byng
5.I.1924, Hayes, Middlesex

Malcolm McEachern, bass
Wallace: Hear me gentle Maritana...The mariner and his barque (Maritana)

The German Style in Evolution
Helen Wildbrunn, soprano
18. Beethoven: Abscheulicher!...Komm, Hoffnung (Fidelio, Act I)
1922

Gertrude Kappel, soprano
19. Wagner: Hojotoho! (Die Walkure, Act II)
1924 (P) 1979

Frida Leider, soprano
20. Weber: Ozeon, du Ungeheuer (Oberon, Act II)
1921

Compact Disc 5
Claire Dux, soprano
1. Thomas: Dort bei ihm ist sie jetzt (Mignon, Act II)
14.VIII.1911

Maria Ivogün, soprano
2. Verdi: Teurer Name (Rigoletto, Act I)
1917 (P) 1979

Maria Jeritza, soprano
3. Richard Strauss: Es gibt ein Reich (Ariadne auf Naxos)
1913

Elena Gerhardt mezzo–soprano
4. Richard Strauss: Wiegenlied Op.41 No.1
Arthur Nikisch, piano
30.VI.1911

Julia Culp, soprano
5. Brahms: Muss es eine Trennung geben? (Die schöne Magelone Op.33)
Coenraad von Bos, piano
IX.1914, Berlin

Richard Mayr, bass
6. Beethoven: Hat man nicht auch Gold beineben (Fidelio, Act I)
1922

Alexander Kipnis, bass
7.Tchaikovsky: Ein Jeder kennt (Eugene Onegin, Act III)
1921 (P) 1979

Hermann Jadlowker, tenor
8. Mozart: Noch tönt mir ein Meer im Busen (Idomeneo, Act II)
1917

VOLUME 3: 1926–1939

The German School
Lauritz Melchoir, tenor
9. Wagner: Die töne Lob (Tannhäuser, Act I)
London Symphony Orchestra / Sir John Barbirolli
29.V.1930, Kingsway Hall, London

Max Lorenz, tenor
10. Wagner: Winterstürme (Die Walküre, Act I)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Ernst Viebig
12.III.1928, Singakademie, Berlin

Helge Rosvaenge, tenor
11. Willie: Euren König (Königsballade)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Recorded: 9.XI.1937, Berlin

Richard Tauber, tenor
12. Johann Strauss II: Dieser Anstand (Die Fledermaus, Act II)
Vera Schwarz, soprano ∙ Berlin Staatskapelle / Frieder Weissmann
29.X.1928, Berlin

Marcel Wittrisch, tenor
13. Kielzl: Selig sind (Der Evangelimann, Act II)
Children’s Chorus ∙ Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Cornelius Kun
15.IX.1932, Berlin

Josef Schmidt, tenor
14. Korngold: Glück, das mir verblieb (Die tote Stadt, Act I)
Orchestra / Otto Dobrindt
24.IV.1933, Berlin

Karl Erb, tenor
15. Beethoven: Der Wachtelschlag
Bruno Seidler-Winkler, piano
XI.1939, Electrola Studios, Berlin

Gerhard Hüsch, baritone
16. Humperdinck: Ra-la-la-la...Ach, wir armen (Hansel und Gretel, Act I)
with unnamed soprano ∙ Berlin State Opera Chorus and Orchestra / Hanns Udo Müller
5.I.1937, Berlin

Willi Domgraf Fassbaender, baritone
17. Kreutzer: Ein Schütz bin ich (Das Nachtlager in Granada, Act I)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Erich Orthmann
18.XI.1931, Berlin

Herbert Janssen, baritone
18. Schubert: Die Stadt (No.11 of Schwanengesang, D957)
Gerald Moore, piano (P) 1985
16.XI.1938, No.3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Friedrich Schorr, bass-baritone
19. Mendelssohn: Herr Gott Abrahams (Elijah)
London Symphony Orchestra / Sir John Barbirolli
11.V.1931, Kingsway Hall, London

Sigrid Onegin, contralto
20. Meyerbeer: O prêtres de Baal (Le Prophète, Act V)
Orchestra / Rosario Bourdon
21.III.1929, Liederkranz Hall, New York • CVE 50962 (Victor 7146)1

Compact Disc 6
Elisabeth Schumann, soprano
1. Marx: Marienlied
Vienna State Orchestra / Karl Alwin
15.VIII.1928, Vienna

Miliza Korjus, soprano
2. Rimsky-Korsakov: In Novgorod (The Tsar’s Bride, Act II)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Bruno Seidler-Winkler
29.I.1936, Berlin

Erna Berger, soprano
3O. Boussier: Weine du nicht
Hans Walter Schleif, oboe • Eta Harich-Schneider, harpsichord
1937, Electrola Studios, Berlin

Tiana Lemnitz, soprano
4. Richard Strauss: Nacht dem Matteo? (Arabella, Act I)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Bruno Seidler-Winkler
28.X.1940, Berlin

Maria Cebotari, soprano
5. Puccini: Mann nennt mich jetz nur Mimi (La bohème, Act I)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Fritz Zweig
24.XI.1932, Berlin

Elisabeth Rethberg, soprano
6. Meyerbeer: Leb’ wohl, freundlich Gestade (L’Africaine, Act I)
Odeon Opera Orchestra / Frieder Weissmann
22.IV.1933, Berlin

Lotte Lehmann, soprano
7. Richard Strauss: Oh, sei er gut, Quinquin (Der Rosenkavalier, Act I)4.08
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Manfred Gurlitt
13.XII.1927, Berlin

Maria Müller, soprano
8. Reger: Waldeinsamkeit Op.76 No.3
Ivor Newton, piano
24.V.1937, Abbey Road Studios, London

Nanny Larsen-Todsen, soprano
9. Wagner: Ewig war ich (Siegfried, Act III)
Orchestra / Eduard Mörike
7.V.1928, Berlin

The Italian School
Conchita Supervia mezzo-soprano
10. Paisiello: Chi vuol la zingarella (I zingari in fiera)
Orchestra / Maestro Capdevila
4.III.1930, Barcelona

Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, soprano
11. Verdi: Te, vergin santa (I Lombardi, Act I)
Orchestra / Lorenzo Molajoli
IV.1934, Milan

Dusolina Giannini, soprano
12. Verdi: Pace, pace mio Dio (La forza del destino, Act IV)
Orchestra / Sir John Barbirolli
17.XII.1928, London

Maria Caniglia, soprano
13. Giordano:Qual vergogna (Siberia, Act III)
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Giuseppe Antonicelli
10.IV.1936, Conservatorio, Milan

Gina Cigna, soprano
14. Puccini: L’amore è un’altra cosa...Laggiù nel Solidad (La fanciulla del West, Act I)
Orchestra / Lorenzo Molajoli
c1934, Milan

Margaret Sheridan, soprano
15. Puccini: Con onor muore (Madama Butterfly, Act II)
Browning Mummery, tenor
7.VI.1927, Conservatorio, Milan (P) 1985

Licia Albanese, soprano
16. Puccini: In quelle trine morbide (Manon Lescaut, Act II)
Orchestra / Dino Olivieri
1940, Conservatorio, Milan

Bidù Sayão, soprano
17. Gomes: Gentile di cuore (Il Guarany, Act II)
Orchestra of RCA Victor Brasiliana / Maestro Giannetti
XI.1940, Rio de Janeiro

Toti dal Monte, soprano
18. James: Maori Lullaby Sung in English
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Carlo Sabajno
21.XI.1927, Milan

Lina Pagliughi, soprano
19. Verdi: Gualtier Maldé...Caro nome (Rigoletto, Act I)
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Carlo Sabajno
5.VII.1929, Milan

Ezio Pinza, bass
20. Verdi: Confutatis maledictis (Messa da Requiem)
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Carlo Sabajno
5.IX.1929, Milan

Salvatore Baccaloni, bass
21. Ricci: Fermola!...Dapprima, figuratevi (Crispino e la comare)
Irma Mion, soprano
Orchestra / Lorenzo Molajoli
III.1930, Milan

Mariano Stabile, baritone
22. Verdi: L’onore! Ladri! (Falstaff, Act I)
Orchestra / Lorenzo Molajoli
3.XII.1926, Milan

Compact Disc 7
Apollo Granforte, baritone
1. Leoncavallo: Buona Zazà (Zazà, Act II)
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Carlo Sabajno
12.IV.1929, Milan

Dino Borgioli, tenor
2. Hageman: Do not go, my love
Ivor Newton, piano
20.VI.1935, Abbey Road Studios, London

Tito Schipa, tenor
3. Massenet: Tradure...Ah! non mi ridestar (Werther, Act III)
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Franco Ghione
4.V.1934, Conservatorio, Milan

Francesco Merli, tenor
4. Puccini: Donna non vidi mai (Manon Lescaut, Act I)
Orchestra / Lorenzo Molajoli
29.II.1928, Milan

Beniamino Gigli, tenor
5. Tosti: Aprile
Orchestra / Lawrance Collingwood
12.V.1939, Abbey Road Studios, London

Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, tenor
6. Puccini: Che avvien?...Ah, non m’avvicinate (Manon Lescaut, Act III)
Luigi Borgonovo, baritone ∙ Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Franco Ghione
30.V.1934, Conservatorio, Milan

Aureliano Pertile, tenor
7. Cilea: La dolcissima effigie (Adriana Lecouvreur, Act I)
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Carlo Sabajno
Recorded 10.XII.1930, Conservatorio, Milan

Lily Pons, soprano
8. Saint-Saens: Le Rossignol et la rose
Orchestra / Gustav Cloëz
26.II.1929, Paris

Ninon Vallin, soprano
9. Faure: Les berceaux, Op.23 No.1
Marguerite Long, piano
12.VI.1933, Paris

Claire Croiza mezzo-soprano
10. De Breville: Une jeune fille parle
Pierre de Bréville, piano
28.XII.1928, Paris

Georges Thill, tenor
11. Reyer: Le bruit des chants...Esprits, gardiens de ces lieux vénérés (Sigurd, Act II)
Orchestra / Eugène Bigot
7.VII.1933, Paris

Charles Panzéra, baritone
12. Berlioz: Esprits des flammes ! (La Damnation de Faust, Scene II)
Pasdeloup Orchestra / Piero Coppola
18.II.1931, Paris

Pierre Bernac, baritone
13. Faure: Aurore, Op.39 No.1
Francis Poulenc, piano (P) 1985
5.XII.1947, London

Yvonne Printemps, soprano
14. Offenbach: Dites-lui (La Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein Act II)
Henri Busser, piano
22.XI.1929, Paris

Reynaldo Hahn, tenor
15. Offenbach: (a) Les Charbonniers et fariniers (b) Que voulez-vous faire ? (La Boulangère a des écus)
Reynaldo Hahn, piano
19.IX.1927, Paris

The Anglo-American School
Lawrence Tibbett, baritone
16. Verdi: E’ sogno, o realtà (Falstaff, Act II)
Orchestra / Rosario Bourdon (P) 1985
3.III.1926, Camden, New York

John Charles Thomas, baritone
17. Thomas: O vin, dissipe la tristesse (Hamlet, Act II)
Orchestra / Nathaniel Finston
14.I.1934, Hollywood, California

Dennis Noble, baritone
18. Rossini: I’m the factotum (Il barbiere di Siviglia, Act I)
Orchestra / Clarence Raybould
24.I.1928, London

John Brownlee, baritone
19. Thomas: Comme une pâle fleur (Hamlet, Act V)
Orchestra / Georges Lauweryns
6.III.1929, Paris

Harold Williams, baritone
20. Cowan: Onaway, awake beloved
Orchestra / Clarence Raybould
11.XI.1931, London

Charles Kullman, tenor
21. offenbach: Ha, wie in meiner Seele (Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Act III)
8.XII.1931, Berlin

Heddle Nash, tenor
22. Bizet: She is there...Hear the voice of one who adores thee (Serenade) (La Jolie Fille de Perth, Act II)
Orchestra / Clarence Raybould
9.IX.1932, Abbey Road Studios, London

Richard Crooks, tenor
23. Puccini: Wie sich die Bilder gleichen (Tosca, Act I)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Clemens Schmalstich
1.XI.1929, Singakademie, Berlin

Dame Clara Butt, contralto
24. Sullivan: The Lost Chord
with piano and organ accompaniment
7.VIII.1930, Westminster Central Hall, London

Marian Anderson, contralto
25. Schubert: Der Tod und das Mädchen D531
Kosti Vehanen, piano
13.XI.1936, Studio Albert, Paris

Compact Disc 8
Maggie Teyte, soprano
1. Paladilhe: Psyche
Gerald Moore, piano
26.III.1941, Abbey Road Studios, London

Isobel Baillie, soprano
2. Handel: Angels ever bright and fair (Theodora)
Orchestra / Charles Prentice
13.XI.1928, London

Joan Cross, soprano
3. Puccini: One fine day (Madama Butterfly, Act II)
Orchestra / Lawrance Collingwood
21.XII.1935, Abbey Road Studios, London

Marjorie Lawrence, soprano
4. Reyer: O palais radieux ! (Sigurd Act IV)
Pasdeloup Orchestra / Piero Coppola
7.IX.1934, Paris

Eva Turner, soprano
5. Puccini: In questa reggia (Turandot, Act II)
Orchestra / Lorenzo Molajoli
28.IV.1928, Milan

Florence Austral, soprano
6. Rossini: Inflammatus (Stabat Mater)
Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Sir John Barbirolli
27.VIII.1928, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London

The East European/Slavic School
Jarmila Novotná, soprano
7. Dvorak: My hair is golden (Rusalka, Act III) Sung in Czech
Arpad Sándor, piano
X.1931, Electrola Studios, Berlin

Oda Slobodskaya, soprano
8. Graetchaninov: Lullaby Op.1 No.5 Sung in Russian
Percy Kahn, piano (P) 1985
13.II.1931, Small Queen’s Hall, London

Mark Reizen, bass
9. Gomez: Di sposo, di padre (Salvator Rosa, Act III)
Albert Coates, piano (P) 1985
4.XII.1929, London

VOLUME 4: 1939-1952

The Anglo-American School
Dorothy Kirsten, soprano
10. Puccini: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (La rondine, Act I)
RCA Victor Orchestra / Jean Paul Morel
30.XII.1947, Manhattan Center, New York

Eleanor Steber, soprano
11. Charpentier: Depuis le jour (Louise, Act III)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Walter Susskind
17.IX.1947, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Helen Traubel, soprano
12. Wagner: Einsam in trüben Tagen (Lohengrin, Act I)
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York / Artur Rodzinski
Recorded 23.V.1945, Carnegie Hall, New York

Jennie Tourel, soprano
13. Bizet: Quand je vous aimerai ?... L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Carmen, Act I)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Walter Susskind
25.IX.1951, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Kathleen Ferrier, contralto
14. J S Bach: Qui sedes (B Minor Mass)
Vienna Symphony Orchestra / Herbert von Karajan (P) 1991
VI.1950, Musikvereinssaal, Vienna

Peter Pears, tenor
15. Traditional (French): The King is gone a-hunting (arr. Britten)
Benjamin Britten, piano (P) 1980
29.IX.1950, No.3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Jan Peerce, tenor
16. Herbert: Ah! sweet mystery of life (Naughty Marietta)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Anatole Fistoulari
7.IX.1950, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Richard Tucker, tenor
17. Ponchielli: Cielo e mar (La Gioconda, Act II)
Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera Association, New York / Emil Cooper
18.VI.1947, Metropolitan Opera House, New York

Robert Merrill, baritone
18. Massenet: Ce breuvage...Vision fugitive (Hérodiade, Act II)
RCA Orchestra / Jean Paul Morel
21.V.1946, Lotus Club, New York

George London, bass-baritone
19. Mussorgsky/Rimsky-Korsakov: I have attained the highest power (Boris Godunov, Act II) Sung in Russian
Virginia Pleasants, piano (P) 1989
22.X.1949 Brahmssaal, Vienna

Compact Disc 9
Oscar Natzke, bass
1. Handel: From the rage of the tempest...Hear me, ye winds (Scipio) (arr. Somervell)
H. Robinson Cleaver, organ
23.II.1939, London

The French School
Mado Robin, soprano
2. Dell'Acqua: Chanson provençale
Orchestra / Georges Briez
10.XI.1942, Paris

Géori Boué, soprano
3. Hahn: Le Rossignol des lilas (Dauphin)
André Collard, piano
c1942, Paris

Victoria de los Angeles, soprano
4. Respighi: Stornellatrice
Gerald Moore, piano
9.V.1949, No.3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Suzanne Danco, soprano
5. Anonymous, 15th Century: Amor amaro (ed. F. Ghisi)
Professor E. Bellinzona, vielle
II.1941, Milan

Solange Michel mezzo-soprano
6. Godard: Viens avec nous (La Vivandière, Act I)
Orchestre de l’Opéra-Comique / Louis Fourestier
12.III.1951, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris

Hugues Cuénod, tenor
7. Lipatti: Sensation (Rimbaud)
Madeleine Lipatti, piano (P) 1989
23.VI.1951, Zurich

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano
8. Beethoven: Ach wär ich schon (Fidelio, Act I)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Alceo Galliera
19.X.1950, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road

Irmgard Seefried, soprano
9. Wolf: Elfenlied (Mörike)
Gerald Moore, piano (P) 1987
15.IV.1948, No.3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Sena Jurinac, soprano
10. Tchaikovsky: Es geht auf Mitternacht (The Queen of Spades, Act III)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Lawrance Collingwood (P) 1989
10.VIII.1950, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Ljuba Welitsch, soprano
11. Verdi: Ritorna vincitor! (Aida, Act I)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Josef Krips
25.IX.1947, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Leonie Rysanek, soprano
12. Richard Strauss: Das war sehr gut (Arabella, Act III)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Wilhelm Schüchter
21.IV.1952, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Inge Borkh, soprano
13. Menotti: Mein Kind ist tot (The Consul, Act III)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Artur Rother
10.XII.1951, Berlin

Julius Patzak, tenor
14. Schubert: Der Müller und der Bach (Die schöne Müllerin)
Michael Raucheisen, piano (P) 1966
1943, Vienna

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone
15. Schumann: Mondnacht (Eichendorff) (No.5 of Liederkreis, Op.39)
Gerald Moore, piano
7.X.1951, No.3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Erich Kunz, baritone
16. Mozart: Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja (Die Zauberflöte, Act I)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Rudolf Moralt (P) 1989
21.XI.1947, Brahmssaal, Vienna

Paul Schoeffler, baritone
17. Beethoven: Ha! welch ein Augenblick (Fidelio, Act I)
Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra / Karl Böhm
1944, Vienna

Aksel Schiøtz, tenor
18. Dowland: Flow my tears
Jytte Gorki Schmidt, guitar
17.X.1941, Copenhagen

The Russian and Slavonic Schools
Zara Dolukhanova, mezzo-soprano
19. Mussorgsky/Rimsky-Korsakov: Mysterious powers (Khovanshchina, Act II) Sung in Russian
All-Union Radio Symphony Orchestra / Alexei Kovaliev
c1951/2, Moscow

Claudia Novikova, mezzo-soprano
20. Offenbach: Ah! quel dîner (La Perichole, Act I) Sung in Russian
USSR

Beno Blachut, tenor
21. Smetana: Ah, whose is the spell? (Dalibor, Act III) Sung in Czech
Prague Opera Orchestra / Jožka Charvát
1945, Prague

Boris Christoff
22. Borodin: The Sleeping PrincessSung in Russian
Gerald Moore, piano (P) 1979
17.V.1950, No.3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Compact Disc 10
The Italian School
Ferruccio Tagliavini, tenor
1. Donizetti: Una furtiva lagrima (L’elisir d’amore, Act II)
RCA Victor Orchestra / Antal Dorati
23.IX.1947, Hollywood

Giuseppe di Stefano, tenor
2. Thomas: Addio, Mignon (Mignon, Act II)
La Scala Orchestra / Emidio Tieri
2.IV.1947, Milan

Luigi Infantino, tenor
3. Falvo: Dicitencello vuje
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Alberto Erede
14.IV.1948, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Mario del Monaco, tenor
4. Verdi: Esultate! (Otello, Act I)
Milan Symphony Orchestra / Argeo Quadri
16.I.1951, Milan

Paolo Silveri, baritone
5. Donizetti: Leonora!...A tanto amor (La Favorita, Act III)
London Symphony Orchestra / Walter Goehr
6.XII.1948, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Giampiero Malaspina, baritone
6. Puccini: Tre sbirri, una carozza (Tosca, Act I)
Keith Hardwick, tenor, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Michael Mudie
1.VII.1948, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Gino Bechi, baritone
7. Verdi: O Carlo, ascolta (Don Carlo, Act IV)
Milan Symphony Orchestra / Argeo Quadri
7.II.1949, Milan

Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, bass
8. Glinka: They guess the truth (A Life for the Tsar, Act IV) Sung in Russian
Philharmonia Orchestra / Tomaso Benintende-Neglia
4.VIII.1952, Kingsway Hall, London • Walter Legge • Robert Beckett
2EA 16694 (HMV DB 21559)

Tancredi Pasero, bass
9. Mussorgsky/Rimsky-Korsakov: I have attained the highest power (Boris Godunov, Act II) Sung in Italian
Orchestra / Dick Marzollo (P) 1966
13.VII.1944, Milan

Giulietta Simionato, mezzo-soprano
10. Massenet: Mi scrivo qui (Werther, Act III)
Milan Symphony Orchestra / Argeo Quadri
20.IV.1951, Milan

Fedora Barbieri, mezzo-soprano
11. Verdi: Condotta ell’era in ceppi (Il trovatore, Act II)
Mariano Caruso, tenor
Milan Symphony Orchestra / Argeo Quadri
14.I.1949, Milan

Ebe Stignani, mezzo-soprano
12. Saint-Saens: La notte cadente (Samson et Dalila, Act I)
Orchestra / Umberto Berrettoni
X.1941, Milan

Alda Noni, soprano
13. Bizet: Siccome un dì caduto il sole (Les Pêcheurs de perles, Act I)
Milan Symphony Orchestra / Argeo Quadri
25.I.1951, Milan

Margherita Carosio, soprano
14. Bellini: O quante volte (I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Act I)
Philharmonia Orchestra / Anatole Fistoulari
20.V.1951, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Magda László, soprano
15. Alexander Scarlatti: Su venite e consiglio
Luigi Cortese, piano
c1950, Paris

Margherita Grandi, soprano
16. Verdi: Tu che le vanità (Don Carlo, Act IV)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Alberto Erede
7.II.1948, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Zinka Milanov, soprano
17. Verdi: Vanne!... D’amor sull’ali rosee (Il trovatore, Act IV)
Orchestra / Frieder Weissmann
14.II.1946, Lotus Club, New York