The Record Collector CDs Back Catalogue
Samples can be played by clicking on the button beneath the description of each CD. See our recent releases.
TRC36
£22.95/€30/$39
The first 2-CD set in this series consists of examples of some of the fantastic sopranos and mezzos who recorded in Italy between 1938 and 1954. These are their Cetra recordings and many are of great rarity as they were available only in Italy, would have sold in minimal numbers because of the ravages of the war and were soon deleted. Very few of these discs have been transferred to CD.
Many of these artists would have been great singers in any age.
Click for more information…
Vol 1 CD 1
Giuseppina Arnaldi
1. La Bohème (Puccini): Quando m’en vò
Cetra AT 0345 Mat. 55437 FC 7 Mar. 55
2. L’Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Non mi resta che il pianto
Cetra AT 0345 Mat. 55434 FC 7 Mar. 55
Onelia Fineschi
3. La Wally (Catalani): Ebben ne andrò lontana
Cetra BB 25195 Mat. 2-71075 BC 2 July 47
4. Manon Lescaut (Puccini): In quelle trine morbide
Cetra BB 25204 Mat. 71066 BC 29 Jun. 47
Margherita Benetti
5. Falstaff (Verdi): Sul fil d’un soffio estesio
Cetra PE 200 Mat F 054 16 Dec. 53
6. Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Un bel dì vedremo
Cetra PE 200 Mat. F 027 10 Nov 53
Maria Antonietta Castelli
7. Iris (Mascagni): Ho fatto un triste sogno
Cetra CB 20367 Mat. 70965 12 Jan 46
8. Iris (Mascagni): Io pingo
Cetra CB 20367 Mat. 70966 12 Jan 46
Maria Luisa Gemelli
9. I Vespri Siciliani (Verdi): Mercè dilette amiche
Cetra AT 0401 Mat. A11630 16 Mar. 55
10. Giulietta e Romeo (Zandonai): Sono la vostra sposa
Cetra AT 0401 Mat. A11631 16 Mar. 55
Maria Minazzi
11. Manon (Massenet): Addio o nostro piccolo desco
Parlo RO 30004 Mat. 54590 FC 27 Feb. 51
12 La Rondine (Puccini): Che il bel sogno di Doretta
Parlo RO 30004 Mat. 54682 5 May 51
Elena Nicolai
13. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Voi lo sapete
Cetra CB 20511 Mat. 2-71442 25 Apr. 51
14. Fedora (Giordano): O grandi occhi lucenti
Cetra CB 20512 Mat. 2-71472 6 Jun. 51
Maria Pedrini
15. Aida (Verdi): O cieli azzurri
Cetra CC 2324 Mat. 70365 16 May 40
Gianna Pederzini
16. L’Italiana in Algeri (Rossini): Cruda sorte...Per lui che adoro
Cetra BB 25092 Mat. 70711/12 Circa 1942
Pia Tassinari
17. Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Deh vieni non tardar
Cetra BB 25122 Mat. 70889 11 Jun. 43
18. Werther (Massenet): M’hai scritto de m’ama
Cetra BB 25122 Mat. 70901 14 Jun 53
Elena Rizzieri
19. Carmen (Bizet): lo dico no non son
Cetra CB 2054 Mat. F 047 11 Dec 53
20. La Rondine (Puccini): Ora dolci e divine
Cetra CB 2054 Mat. F 048 11 Dec 53
Vol 1. CD ll
Nora de Rosa
1. Fedora (Giordano): Ed ecco il suo ritratto
Cetra AT 0404 Mat. B11633 16 Mar 55
2. L’Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Son pocchi fiori
Cetra AT 0402 Mat. A11632 16 Mar 55
Lidia Cremona
3. L’Enfant Prodigue (Debussy): Azaël! Pourquoi m’as-tu quittée?
Cetra TI 7070 Mat. 53465/6 18 Nov. 48
4. Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Io son l’umile ancella
Cetra AT 0132 Mat. 54467 18 Nov. 48 (RO 30002)
Onelia Fineschi
5. Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Tu, piccolo iddio
Cetra BB 25204 Mat. 71083 BC 4 Jul. 47
6. La Bohème (Puccini): O soave fanciulla w. Francesco Albanese
Cetra BB 25210 Mat. 2 71097 8 Jul. 47 (RO 30021)
7. La Bohème (Puccini): Sono andati w. Francesco Albanese
Cetra BB 25210 Mat. 2 71096 8 Jul. 47 (RO 30021)
Winifred Cecil
8. Loreley (Catalani): Non lui da una padre
Cetra CB 20458 Mat. 71175 5 Oct. 48
9. Tu lo sai (Giuseppe Torelli)
Cetra TI 7006 Mat. 50248 8 Jul. 39
Orch. Sinfonica dell Radio Italiana, Cond. Mario Rossi (Loreley)
Adriana Guerrini
10. Tosca (Puccini): Vissi d’arte
DGG 36 124a Mat. 5070 1952 (Cetra Series)
Graziella Valle
11. L’Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Non mi resta che il pianto
Cetra TI 7065 Mat. 53334 FC 13 Sep. 48
12. Iris (Mascagni): S’era malata la mia amica bambola
Cetra TI 7069 Mat. 53442 FC 12 Nov. 48
Lina Pagliughi
13. Il Re (Giordano): O Colombello sposarti
Cetra BB 25093 Mat. 2 70628 circa 1941 (R30015)
Orch. Sinfonica dell’EIAR, Cond. Armando La Rosa Parodi
14. Rigoletto (Verdi): Tutte le feste al tempio
Cetra AT 0110 Mat. 50112 8 Dec 38
Rosetta Pampanini
15. Iris (Mascagni): Un dì, ero piccina
Cetra CC 2232 Mat. 2 70464 Circa 1940
16. Aida (Verdi): Ritorna vincitor
Cetra 25054 Mat. 2 70460/1 Circa 1940
Ebe Stignani
17. Norma (Bellini): Casta Diva
Cetra BB 25097 Mat. 70780/1 21 Aug 42
Orch. Sinfonica dell’EIAR, Cond. Ugo Tansini
18. M’ama, non m’ama (Mascagni)
Cetra AT 0217 Mat. C51744 date? (RO 30002)
Pia Tassinari
19. La Bohème (Puccini): Donde lieta uscì
Cetra BB 25143 Mat. 70898 12 Jun. 43
Click to play a sample
Maria Luisa Gemelli excerpt from Romeo e Giulietta
TRC35
£9.95 ($19.00)
It is our pleasure to present another compilation of the rare, the unpublished and recordings not available on other reissues. As always, The Record Collector has chosen the recordings with an emphasis on beautiful singing.
What a fine soprano Joan Cross was! That makes her neglect by collectors all the more to be regretted. The voice was a beautifully-placed lyric soprano, with a security and nobility of utterance worthy of the greatest singers. Especially lovely is her ‘Mimì’s farewell’, which is sung with an enchanting delicacy and poise. If it were in Italian rather than English it would be a highly sought-after disc.
Click for more information…
It is a pity that Edward Johnson is likely to be remembered in history more as a General Manager at the Met than as a tenor. Records show a solid lirico spinto voice used with great intelligence and a secure technique. His Columbia recordings, especially, are exciting and show a tenor not afraid to coarsen his tone when the dramatic situation demands it. His recording of ‘Ah! Manon, mi tradisce’ is among the best of versions. Alan Bilgora recommended his singing of ‘Una parola sola’ in his review of Johnson’s records and justly so. The Mignon disc is of especial interest as it was unpublished. It, too, is well sung.
We have found two example of Sofía del Campo at her best, one of which appears not to have eluded reissue on CD. Her voice has been captured here with none of that slightly acerbic quality which sometimes mars her discs. These two songs show a fine technique, an even and secure range and a vivid personality at work. Unfortunately, many of her discs date from that period when Victor’s shellac was at its noisiest. As is our practice when making transfers from 78s to CDs, we have carefully removed as much extraneous noise as possible without detracting from the voice.
For some reason reissues of René Maison’s commercial discs seem to be relatively few. He is better represented in live performances, especially from the Met. His performance of ‘La donna è mobile’ shows all his virtues: a strong, spinto sound, with an incisive middle range which would have projected through any orchestra. The voice cannot be described as especially beautiful but there is compensation in the weight and security of his tone which would have made him ideal for heldentenor and dramatic roles. His recording of this aria boasts a magical diminuendo on ‘muta d’accento’ in the second verse. Only the less than secure top B detracts from an otherwise very good version.
It is a pity that the recordings of Edith Coates fail to do justice to a historically important and patrician artist. They capture a tonal quality which is not especially ingratiating. Those who heard her spoke of a fine artist and reliable colleague who made far more impact in the theatre than she does on her recordings. We wanted to bring you at least one example of one of her most successful roles.
Tovia Kittay is hardly known to collectors. He turns up on records most often as the partner to Tamaki Miura in the love duet from Madama Butterfly. His solos are much harder to find. Although the voice sounds a little strange at first, he soon settles down to a beautifully poised and heartfelt delivery of this lovely aria from Cherevichki. His could hardly be called a great voice but the obvious sincerity and lyricism are worthy of attention.
We hope that collectors who did not know the singing of Margareta Hallin will be delighted by these selections. At the beginning of her career hers was a lovely, leggiero soprano of great range and pin-point accuracy, with an engaging personality. Her only two 78 rpm sides are here and both are lovely performances, worthy of ranking her withmany far more famous colleagues. The ‘Parla’ seems to have been a little over- recorded and blasts slightly; two copies we tried had the same fault. The ‘Villanelle’ is a much better recording. The Strauss items are enchanting souvenirs of a lovely artist.
For me the gems on this CD are the three arias sung by Eric Marshall. Here is another example of an artist of limited natural resources, who, by dint of hard work, great artistry and a superb sense of style, enjoyed a fine career and made wonderful records. The sheer beauty of his tone and his mastery of legato, rubato and portamento in his ‘O Lisbona’ time and time again recall Battistini. Here Marshall is a supreme stylist at work. Had he been gifted with a first-class voice he would surely have had an international career. Still, his records are eagerly sought after by collectors.
We were fortunate to be able to find four incredibly rare examples of the great Léon Melchissédec. He was a singer of immense historical importance, who, thankfully, was captured just in time by the gramophone. His discs give us a glimpse of performance practice from the middle and later decades of the 19th century. In the APGA recordings, the sixty-three year-old baritone still retains an amazing amount of voice. It is perfectly steady, his technique is secure and he is fully in control of it. The top of the voice is well preserved, though the bottom register is by now something of a wreck. The sound is much fresher in the Zonophones made 41⁄2 years earlier. The ‘singing lesson’ ‘Reste immobile’ is something of an oddity and it is strange to think that it was published commercially.
Click to play a sample
Margareta Hallin ‘Moulinet’ (Johann Strauss)
TRC34 Cetra Legacy of Baritones
£22.95/€30/$39
Following on from the great success of the two sets of Cetra tenors, it made perfect sense to produce one devoted to some of the marvellous baritones who sang for Cetra during the post-war years until the advent of the LP record. Most of these discs are of enormous rarity and few have been reissued at all, let alone on CD. They would have been sold primarily in Italy, are likely to have sold in minimal numbers as a result of post-war austerity and received little distribution elsewhere.
Here is a collection of baritones whose vocal timbres are unique. There seems to be a real dearth of Verdi baritones today. Each and every one of the singers on these CDs would be a major star on today’s stages.
Click for more information…
The Cetra Legacy of Baritones
CD 1
Giuseppe Taddei
1. Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Aprite un pò quegli occhi
Cetra BB 25299 — Mat. 123 — 17 Mar. 55
2. Don Giovanni (Mozart): Deh vieni alla finestra
Cetra AT 0403 — Mat. 11636 — 17 Mar. 55
3. Guglielmo Tell (Rossini): Resta immobile
Cetra AT 0404 — Mat. 11637? — 17 Mar. 55
4. Hérodiade (Massenet): Vision fugitive
Cetra BB 25299 — Mat. 126 — 17 Mar. 55
5. Otello (Verdi): Credo in un Dio crudele
Cetra BB 25300 — Mat. F124 — 17 Mar. 55
6. Falstaff (Verdi): L’onore ladri
Cetra AT 0403 — Mat. 11635 — 17 Mar. 55
Orchestra Sinfonico di Torino della Radio Italiana, Cond. Arturo Basile
Giampiero Malaspina
7. Macbeth (Verdi): Pietà, rispetto, amore
Parlo. (Cetra) RO 30006 — Mat. 55098 — 5 May 52
8. Nabucco (Verdi): Dio di Giuda
Parlo. (Cetra) RO 30006 — Mat. 55099 — 5 May 52
Orchestra Lirica Cetra, Cond. Arturo Basile
Carlos Guichandut
9. Hamlet (Thomas): O vin discaccia la tristezza (Brindisi)
Cetra CB 20506 — Mat. 2-71334 — 22 Apr. 50
10. La Traviata (Verdi): Di provenza il mar
Cetra CB 20506 — Mat. 2-71332 — 21 Apr. 50
Orchestra Lirica di Torino della Radio Italiana, Cond. Arturo Basile
Giuseppe Manacchini
11. Rigoletto (Verdi): Cortigiani! vil razza dannata
Cetra CC 2158 — Mat. 2-70236 — 1939/40?
12. Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Nemico della patria
Cetra CC 2158 — Mat. 2-70244 — 1939/40?
Orchestra dell’EIAR, Cond. Ugo Tansini
Antenore Reali
13. La Gioconda (Ponchielli): O Monumento
Cetra BB 25128 — Mat. 2-70921II — 26 Sep. 44
14. La Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Minnie, della mi casa
Cetra BB 25128 — Mat. 2-70922 — 26 Sep. 44
15. Ernani (Verdi): O de’ verd’anni miei
Cetra BB 25150 — Mat. 2-70967 — 12 Jan. 46
16. Un Ballo in Maschera (Verdi): Alla vita che t’arride
Cetra BB 25211 — Mat. 2-71117 — 15 Oct. 47
17. Zazà (Leoncavallo): Zazà, piccola zingara
Cetra BB 25130 — Mat. 2-70930 — 4 Nov. 44
18. L’Arlesiana (Cilea): Come due tizzi accesi
Cetra BB 25130 — Mat. 2-70968 — 12 Jan. 46
Orchestra Sinfonica della Radio Italiana, Cond. Arturo Basile
Enzo Mascherini
19. Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Largo al factotum
Cetra BB 25123 — Mat. 70915 — 15 Jun. 43
20. Faust (Gounod): O Santa medaglia
Cetra BB 25123 — Mat. 70911 — 15 Jun. 43
Orchestra Sinfonica dell’EIAR, Cond. Ugo Tansini
CD 2
Giuseppe Taddei
1. Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Nemico della patria
Cetra 25300 — Mat. F.125 — 17 Mar. 55
2. La Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Minnie, della mia casa
Cetra AT 0404 — Mat. 11638? — 17 Mar. 55
3. Le Roi de Lahore (Massenet): O casto fior
Parlo. (Cetra) R 30047 — Mat. 2-71507 — 14 Nov. 51
Orchestra Sinfonico di Torino della Radio Italiana, Cond. Arturo Basile
Rolando Panerai
4. Tannhäuser (Wagner): O tu bell’ astro incantator
Cetra CB 20375 — Mat. 2-71177 — 11 Oct. 48
Orchestra Sinfonica della Radio Italiana, Cond. Arturo Basile
5. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): La vittoria inseparata with Luisa Ribacchi Parlo.
(Cetra) R 30033 — Mat. 21276/7 — 23-25 July 49
Orchestra Lirica di Torino della Radio Italiana, Cond. Arturo Basile
Carlo Tagliabue
6. Il Trovatore (Verdi): Il balen del suo sorriso
Parlo. (Cetra) R 30031 — Mat. 2-70270 — 19 July 39
Orchestra Sinfonica dell’EIAR, Cond. Ugo Tansini
7. Otello (Verdi): Credo in un Dio crudele
Parlo. PXO 1070 — Mat. 2-70777 — 10 Aug. 42
8, Carmen (Bizet): Con voi ber
Parlo. (Cetra) PXO 1070 — Mat. 2-70778 — 10 Aug. 42
Orchestra dell’EIAR, Cond. Armando La Rosa Parodi
9. Rigoletto (Verdi): Pari siamo
Cetra BB 25064 — Mat. 2-70269 — 19 July 39
10. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Prologo
Cetra BB 25064 — Mat. 2-70271 — 19 July 39
Orchestra dell’EIAR, Cond. Ugo Tansini
Sándor (Alessandro) Svéd
11. Otello (Verdi): Era la notte
Cetra BB 25192 — Mat. 2-71060 — 27 June 47
12. Un Ballo in Maschera (Verdi): Eri tu che m’acchiavi
Cetra BB 25191 — Mat. 2-71061/62 — 28 June 47
13. Guglielmo Tell (Rossini): Resta immobile
Cetra BB 25203 — Mat. 2-71067 — 29 June 47
14. Tosca (Puccini): Già mi dicon venal
Cetra BB 25211 — Mat. 2-71087 — 5 July 47
15. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Wahn! Wahn! Überall Wahn!
Cetra BB 25198 — Mat. 2-71081/82 — 3 July 47
Orchestra Sinfonica della Radio Italiana, Cond. Alfredo Simonetta
Giuseppe Valdengo
16. La mia canzone (Tosti)
Cetra PE 98 — Mat. 70438 — 1940s ?
17. Sogno (Tosti)
Cetra PE 98 — Mat. 70439 — 1940s ?
Orchestra di Camera, Cond. Tito Petralia
Producer’s note:
It is the policy of The Record Collector to produce transfers from 78 rpm records of the highest fidelity. Minimal noise reduction has been used throughout to ensure that there is no deterioration whatever from the quality of the original recording. Generally, the shellac used by Cetra was excellent, with little surface noise. However, around the period of World War II the shellac is somewhat inferior in quality, owing to the scarcity of materials. Consequently, there is a noticeable increase in surface noise for those recordings made during this period. It has proved impossible to remove all of the noise without impairing the full fidelity of the recording. We hope that this will not detract from the enjoyment of the wonderful singing on these discs.
The recording dates given above are those found on the wax. They may not be dates of recording but rather of processing or pressing.
Records from the collections of Alan Bilgora and Larry Lustig. Transfers by Norman White.
The Cetra Legacy of Baritones
CD 1
Giuseppe Taddei
1. Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Aprite un pò quegli occhi
2. Don Giovanni (Mozart): Deh vieni alla finestra
3. Guglielmo Tell (Rossini): Resta immobile
4. Hérodiade (Massenet): Vision fugitive
5. Otello (Verdi): Credo in un Dio crudele
6. Falstaff (Verdi): L’onore ladri
Giampiero Malaspina
7. Macbeth (Verdi): Pietà, rispetto, amore
8. Nabucco (Verdi): Dio di Giuda
Carlos Guichandut
9. Hamlet (Thomas): O vin discaccia la tristezza (Brindisi)
10. La Traviata (Verdi): Di provenza il mar
Giuseppe Manacchini
11. Rigoletto (Verdi): Cortigiani! vil razza dannata
12. Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Nemico della patria
Antenore Reali
13. La Gioconda (Ponchielli): O Monumento
14. La Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Minnie, della mi casa
15. Ernani (Verdi): O de’ verd’anni miei
16. Un Ballo in Maschera (Verdi): Alla vita che t’arride
17. Zazà (Leoncavallo): Zazà, piccola zingara
18. L’Arlesiana (Cilea): Come due tizzi accesi
Enzo Mascherini
19. Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Largo al factotum
20. Faust (Gounod): O Santa medaglia
CD 2
Giuseppe Taddei
1. Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Nemico della patria
2. La Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Minnie, della mia casa
3. Le Roi de Lahore (Massenet): O casto fior
Rolando Panerai
4. Tannhäuser (Wagner): O tu bell’ astro incantator
5. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): La vittoria inseparata with Luisa Ribacchi
Carlo Tagliabue
6. Il Trovatore (Verdi): Il balen del suo sorriso
7. Otello (Verdi): Credo in un Dio crudele
8, Carmen (Bizet): Con voi ber
9. Rigoletto (Verdi): Pari siamo
10. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Prologo
Sándor (Alessandro) Svéd
11. Otello (Verdi): Era la notte
12. Un Ballo in Maschera (Verdi): Eri tu che m’acchiavi
13. Guglielmo Tell (Rossini): Resta immobile
14. Tosca (Puccini): Già mi dicon venal
15. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Wahn! Wahn! Überall Wahn!
Giuseppe Valdengo
16. La mia canzone (Tosti)
17. Sogno (Tosti)
Produced by The Record Collector, 111 Longshots Close, Chelmsford, CM1 7DU, U.K.
Playing time © The Record Collector 2011
Click to play a sample
Giuseppe Taddei excerpt from ‘La Fanciulla del West’
TRC30 Volume 55 Singers
£9.95 ($19.00)
We think the 2009 singers CD (TRC30) is one of our best yet. No fewer than eighteen of the twenty-three tracks are being issued for the first time on CD. And, for two of the artists featured, their entire 78rpm output is presented complete. In addition the two songs of Franco Corelli have never been reissued on CD.
Click for more information…
Mario Berini possessed an attractive, lyric tenor voice with a hint of steel in its timbre. His entire output of four commercial 78s is given here. They are all operetta and songs. It is a pity that he did not record more of his repertoire, which encompassed many of the important Italian and French lyric tenor roles. His singing is satisfying, stylish and always falls graciously on the ear.
The reputation of Robert Radford among some collectors is not of the highest because a number of his recordings fail to show him at his best. We hope we have selected three examples which really do this bass justice and will place him in greater esteem. There is no doubt that, at his best, this was a fine voice, a deep bass of great solidity, evenness of timbre and of tremendous compass, up to an easy F sharp. He was also skilled in coloratura, as is shown in the aria from The Tempest.
Few readers had heard of the name Felice Lyne prior to the article in Vol. 54, no. 4. I hope the quality of her recordings will delight collectors. The voice is somewhat darker than that of other leggiero sopranos. Yet, she has all the agility and ease in fioriture of many of her far more famous colleagues. And what a sensational trill! For some reason the discs are hard to find and rarely turn up on dealers’ lists. Hence, we are very proud to present all four of her commercially-released recordings.
Elizabeth Parkina is a particular favourite. The voice has a beautiful timbre, not always in evidence in some Marchesi pupils. What a pity her career was cut short by illness! Not only are her G&Ts very rare but they often turn up well worn, obviously greatly enjoyed by previous owners. We know of no CD devoted to her, so we hope collectors will enjoy these examples. All the attributes of the Marchesi school are here, wedded to a charm that just leaps from the grooves.
Lucien Muratore, it seems, had everything: good looks, histrionic ability and a strong lyric tenor with a beautiful timbre. It is hardly surprising that he had a long career at the top of his profession. We have selected recordings spanning over 20 years, which show his ability in both lyric and heroic arias. Yet, the more intimate idiom of songs shows he could modulate his fine tenor and spin a delicate legato line. I am particularly fond of his ‘Magali’, which is quite different from the Calvé version. It is lovingly sung and ends with a magical pianissimo.
In Vol. 54, no. 3 Michael Bott dispelled the long-held myth that Edward Johnson, who sang under his Italian stage name of Di Giovanni, recorded for Odeon and Kalliope. This was, rather, Remo di Giovanni, a heroic tenor with quite a different career. Here is an opportunity to hear this other ‘Di Giovanni’, so you can make up your own mind. No-one will pretend that this is an artist of the first rank, but the comparison is fascinating and it is an opportunity to hear a very rare Kalliope recording. We hope collectors will be able to listen through the slightly rough start.
What more is there to say about Franco Corelli, now acknowledged as one of the great voices of the 20th century? Only that the two songs he recorded for Cetra have never been reissued on CD. They are surely the rarest of his 78 rpm recordings and were available only for a short time. Here is that unique, heroic timbre that electrified the thousands who heard him. It is a thrilling end to this CD.
Click to play a sample
Franco Corelli ‘Granada’
TRC29 The Art of Giannina Russ
£9.95 ($19.00)
That well-known Italian writer and critic Rodolfo Celletti described Giannina Russ in Le Grandi Voci as "probably the only Italian singer in the first twenty years of the 20th century who succeeded in expressing completely the old formula of the soprano drammatico d'agilita".
Click for more information…
She was one of the first singers chosen to make recordings for Fonotipia. Her rapid rise by 1905, barely two years after her debut in 1903, had gained for her enough of a reputation for the company to commit to posterity some of the roles in which she was so much admired. It is obvious from her recordings, where in some she is joined by renowned and established singers, that her fine international career and reputation are fully justified.
This CD contains arias and duets from Le Nozze di Figaro, La Bohème, Aida, L'Africaine, La Gioconda, Rigoletto, Amica, Norma, Cavalleria Rusticana, Mefistofele, La Traviata, Il Trovatore, Fedora, Ernani, Siberia, Carmen. Madama Butterfly and Don Carlo. There are practically no complete CDs of this fine artist available, so this issue fills a very important gap in collectors' shelves.
Click to play a sample.
Giannina Russ O grandi occhi (Fedora)
TRC28 Volume 53 Singers
£9.95 ($19.00)
Click to play a sample.
Cloe Elmo excerpt from La Madre e il Figlio (cantata)
No less than eight of the twenty-two tracks on the 2008 CD have never been reissued on LP and CD. The superb bass voice of Hippolyte Belhomme is mighty of tone but with the coloratura technique of a soprano and a fine trill to boot. The beautiful voice of Thomas L. Thomas will delight those not familiar with his voice. Josefina Huguet has always been neglected by collectors but we have four discs designed to show her at her best: the tone utterly feminine and the technique formidable. The Danish soprano Johanne Brun was a phenomenon: an Isolde who could also sing coloratura roles. Agnes Nicholls, possessor of one of the most magnificent high Cs of her time, thrills with her superb soprano and we precede one of her recordings with those two doyens of collecting, P.G. Hurst and John Freestone, discussing her singing.
But by far the most interesting item on the CD is an ultra-rare cantata by the composer Soddu, sung with great beauty of tone by the ravishing mezzo Cloe Elmo. It is gorgeous music, beautifully sung and this is the first time this disc has appeared on any reissue. The CD ends with a hell-for-leather duet of two great voices. Cloe Elmo and Gina Cigna give an object lesson in the art of verismo in the show stopping duet from La Gioconda. It is one of the most thrilling duets ever to have been recorded!
TRC26 Volume 52 Singers
£9.95 ($19.00)
Click to play a sample.
George Thill J’aurais sur ma poitrine (Werther)
We are proud of our latest CD. It features a number of firsts and certainly several “first time on CD” items. Here are all four of George Thill’s acoustic 78s, which have never been issued before. The beautiful bass of Endré Koreh will be a revelation to many listeners. “First time” items include three Leonard Warren broadcast tracks, a live Hjördis Schymberg and, amazingly, a Pol Plançon take which seems to have eluded previous issues. There are also five tracks which our contributors have described as “favourite records”.
TRC25 Volume 51 Singers
£9.95 ($19.00)
Click to play a sample
Beno Blachut Ha, kym to kouzlem (Dalibor)
This CD features the mighty bass voice of José Mardones in four selections, one of which is unpublished and two were available originally only in Spain. The Dutch soprano Engelen-Sewing will amaze listeners with her coloratura ability. There are four tracks of the amazing Russian mezzo Dolukhanova, with her hair-raising account of ‘O don fatale’. The thrilling, ringing tenor of Beno Blachut should not be missed, nor the wonderful baritone voice of the very underrated Richard Bonelli. All in all a CD full of little known, sometimes previously unavailable and superb selections of all these singers.
TRC23 Volume 49 Singers
£9.95 ($19.00)
Click to play a sample
Solomon Khromchenko Romance of the Young Gypsy (Aleko)
This is one of our most interesting CDs, featuring several ‘first time on CD’ issues. There are four tracks of the ravishing singing of the French tenor David Devriès, including the two rare Büsser songs (first time on reissue). For tenor lovers Solomon Khromchenko will be a revelation. He is still little known in the West; the voice like Kozlovsky in its beauty.
Many will remember the thundering bass of Nowakowski and the attractive sound of Lester Ferguson, both prominent just after the War. So too was Alfred Orda, arguably one of the most beautiful heroic baritone voices to emerge from Poland. Another wonderful heroic baritone was Umberto Urbano, whose contemporary was the dramatic soprano Barbara Kemp. These are just some of the singers on this CD. If you like fine voices, give this CD a try.
TRC21 The Glorious Voice of Igor Gorin
£9.95 ($19.00)
At last, a CD that pays tribute to one of the greatest baritones of the 20th Century. Arguably this was one of the most beautiful baritone voices before the public and it was used with an impeccable technique. This CD is a mixture of the best of his published Victor 78s and radio transcriptions. Much of it has never been transferred to CD. Transfers are by Roger Beardsley in superb sound. No wonder he was a favourite in the US for over thirty years!
Click to play a sample
Igor Gorin El vito (Nin)
TRC19 Great French Heroic Tenors
£9.95 ($19.00)
At the beginning of the Twentieth Century the French school of singing produced some of the most exciting heroic tenors ever to tread the boards. The sound was unique from the dark but ringing baritonal quality of Agustarello Affre (said to be a rival to the great Francesco Tamagno) and the little known but equally impressive Georges Granal (the first time so many examples have appeared on CD) to the lirico-spinto, uniquely French sound of Luccioni, Verdière and Franz. The Record Collector bring for your interest the first issues of Louis Orliac and Georges Imbart de la Tour on CD, perhaps on reissues.
Click to play a sample
César Vezzani Roi du ciel (Le Prophète)
TRC17 The Connoisseur Collection
£9.95 ($19.00)
Click to play a sample.
Martha Angelici Cantu di Malincunia (Tomasi)
Simply, a collection of 24 tracks of great singing designed to appeal to the connoisseur, hence the title. The emphasis is on many less well-known names but each is an outstanding performance guaranteed to enhance any collectionof great voices.
Many of these are from rare discs in fine condition, mastered with astonishing quality and clarity by Roger Beardsley.
TRC16 Sold Out
TRC15 Sold Out
TRC 14 The Great Frida Leider
£9.95 ($19.00)
A selection of her greatest Polydors. Mint copies from the Harold Wayne Collection and guaranteed the finest sound. These acoustic Polydors probably show the voice at it’s best: young, vibrant and of a rare beauty. They contain repertoire that she never again recorded, like arias from Don Carlos, Aida and Oberon. It was little surprise that she became one of the great singers of the twentieth century with performances of this quality.
TRC12 Sold Out
TRC11 Volume 42 Singers
£9.95 ($19.00)
Ivan Ershov; Maria Gay; Mary Lewis; Eyvind Laholm; John Brownlee; Dmitri Smirnov; Francesco Battaglia; Hugo Hasslo; Maria Kurenko.
TRC10 The Sensational Margarethe Siems
£9.95 ($19.00)
The G&Ts, Gramophone Co. and Parlophons.
TRC9 Volume 41 Singers
£9.95 ($19.00)
Apollo Granforte; Germaine Féraldy; Lester Ferguson; Sophie Braslau; Ben Davies; Frantz Rabinowitz; Heddle Nash (unpublished and private recordings).
Heddle Nash Have you seen but a white lily grow (Anon.) Private recording.