45 RPMs 78: Enrico Caruso ~ Caruso Sings 45 (red vinyl)

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Enrico Caruso ~ Caruso Sings 

45 rpm (red vinyl) front cover 

cover photographer unknown

photo of album cover by Styrous®

 

    
On February 25, opera singer Enrico Caruso was born in Naples in 1873. He was one of the first major singing talents to be commercially recorded and made 247 released recordings from 1902 to 1920, which made him an internationally popular entertainment star.     

 

 

 

Enrico Caruso ~ Caruso Sings 

45 rpm (red vinyl) back cover 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

 

 

 

Enrico Caruso ~ Caruso Sings 

45 rpm (red vinyl) side 1 

photos by Styrous®

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enrico Caruso ~ Caruso Sings 

45 rpm (red vinyl) side 2 

photos by Styrous®

 

 

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Cavalleria Rusticana: Siciliana (Thy Lips Like Crimson Berries)
Composed By Mascagni*
Harp – Francis J. Lapitino

A2 - I Pagliacci: No, Pagliaccio, Non Son! (No, Punchinello, No More)
Composed By Leoncavallo*

Side 2:

B1 - Otello: Act II: Ora E Per Sempre Addio (Now Forever, Farewell)
Composed By Verdi*
B2 - Queen Of Sheba: Act II: Magiche Note (Magic Tones)
Composed By Goldmark*

B3 - Pour Un Baiser (For A Kiss)
Composed By Tosti*

Companies, etc.

 Credits:

 

      Tenor Vocals – Enrico Caruso

 

Notes:

Side 1 all tracks in Italian, recorded Dec. 28, 1910.

Side 2 Track 1 in Italian, recorded Dec. 28,1910.
Side 2 Track 2 in Italian, recorded Nov. 7,1909.
Side 2 Track 3 in French, recorded Nov. 6,1909.

Barcode and Other Identifiers        

 

 

    Matrix / Runout (Label Side 1): E2LW-0969
    Matrix / Runout (Label SIde 2): E2LW-0970
    Matrix / Runout (Runout Side 1): E2LW 0969 1S B1
    Matrix / Runout: E2LW 0970 1S A2         

Enrico Caruso – Caruso Sings Five Famous Selections
Label:    RCA Victor Red Seal – ERAT 1
Format:    Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, EP, Red
Country: US
Released:   
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

        
Enrico Caruso          

Ruggero Leoncavallo     

Pietro Mascagni             

Giuseppe Verdi        
     
Net links:       

         

         

         

        
     
YouTube links:      
        
        

        

      
        
         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Monday, September 7, 2020

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78 RPMs 10: Vessella's Italian Band & Gaetano Donizetti ~ Lucia Sextette

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Gaetano Donizetti ~ Lucia Sextette - 1914

Shellac 12" 78 RPM

Vessella's Italian Band

Today is the birthday of Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti who was born on November 29, 1797. He wrote 70 operas and, with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, was a leading composer of the bel canto opera style during the first half of the nineteenth century and an influence on other composers such as Giuseppe Verdi.           

 

In 1912, Ferdinand Himmelreich recorded a solo piano arrangement of the Sextette (Chi mi frena in tal momento) from Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti for RCA Victor Records which is now housed in the Library of Congress (link below).        

Ferdinand Himmelreich

date & photographer unknown

 

In 1914 Vessella's Italian Band with 41 musicians, recorded an instrumental version for brass orchestra of the Lucia Sextette also for RCA Victor Records (link below).      

 

 

Oreste Vessella's Italian Band
Steel Pier, Atlantic City

 date & photographer unknown

 

 

 Gaetano Donizetti ~ Lucia Sextette - 1914

Shellac 12" 78 RPM

Vessella's Italian Band

 

 

Gaetano Donizetti ~ Lucia Sextette - 1914

Shellac 12" 78 RPM

Vessella's Italian Band

       

   

   

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Lucia Sextette, composed by Donizetti*

Side 2:

B - Jewel Of The Madonna - Intermezzo (Intro. To Act 3), written by Wolf-Ferrari*

Companies, etc:

    Record Company – Victor Talking Machine Co.

Notes:

$1.25 in U.S.A.
Concert Band

Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A, Stamped): O 35356A
    Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B, Stamped): E 35356B 3

Vessella's Italian Band – Lucia Sextette / Jewel Of The Madonna
Label:    Victor – 35356
Format:    Shellac, 12", 78 RPM
Country: US
Released: Mar 1914
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Operetta

Viewfinder links:       

        

Vincenzo Bellini          

Gaetano Donizetti       

Gioachino Rossini       

Giuseppe Verdi        

Oreste Vessella        

        

Net links:       

        

DAHR ~   

        Ferdinand Himmelreich     

        Vessella's Italian Band       

Pasatiempo ~ From sublime to ridiculous: Lucia's Sextet through the years    

ProQuest ~ Vessella's Italian Band        

temposenzatempo ~ Oreste Vessella's Italian Band             

       

Audio links:       

        

Library of Congress ~ Ferdinand Himmelreich Lucia sextette     

Sutherland, Pavarotti, Milnes, Ghiaurov, Davies & Tourangeau ~ Lucia Sextette     

Vessella's Italian Band ~ Lucia Sextette       

       

        

        

        

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Wednesday, February 17, 2021       

       

 

 

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Mario Del Monaco articles/mentions

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Renata Tebaldi is Aida      

Renata Tebaldi ~ Tosca         

Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore            

      

      

     

      

     

     

     

      

Mario Del Monaco     

photo by Stevan Kragujević     

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

 

 

 

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Music People

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Giorgio Tozzi articles/mentions

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Leontyne Price ~ the ultimate Aida     
Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Giorgio Tozzi   

publicity photo

     

     

     

      

     

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Music People

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Zinka Milanov articles/mentions

  ~       

    

     

      

Marian Anderson ~ Sings     

Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore     

     

     

      

     

      

     

Zinka Milanov

date & photographer unknown

      

     

     

      

     

 

 

 

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Music People

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45 RPMs 40: Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore

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Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore
45 RPM box cover detail
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
detail photo of box cover by Styrous®

On January 19, 1853, Il Trovatore, premiered in Rome. It is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez.          
     
The entire opera was recorded on this set of 45 RPM records. Due to the short amount of time each 45 RPM record could hold, there are nine 45 RPM records in the set for a total of 18 sides and they were pressed on red vinyl.      

 

Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore
45 RPM record, side 1
photo by Styrous®

 

 

Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore
45 RPM record, side 18
photo by Styrous®
     

The set was released in 1955 by RCA records and the cast comprises stellar opera stars of the period: Fedora Barbieri, Jussi Bjoerling, Leonard Warren, Zinka Milanov and many others all conducted by Robert Shaw.               

Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore
45 RPM box cover detail
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
detail photo of box cover by Styrous®

As with many record sets of the period, it is a nicely packaged project with beautiful images throughout the booklet that accompanies it.          

Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore
45 RPM box cover
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
photo of box cover by Styrous®

While rummageing around the Internet, YouTube in particular, I came across a segment of a film that has Fedora Barbieri singing the role of  the gypsy, Azucena, with Mario Del Monico. It is engrossing to watch as you see the intense expressions that are lost when seeing it live on stage. It's ten minutes long but worth every second of it. Pretty incredible (link below).      

  

There's also a brilliant recording of the song, Di due figli, sung by Giorgio Tozzi as the character, Farrando, in 1956 (link below).           

Tracklist:

    Act I    
1-1     All'erta, All'erta     3:00
1-2     Di Due Figli     3:57
1-3     E Il Padre?     3:07
1-4     Chi Più T'arresti     1:20
1-5     Comme D'aurato Sogno     0:43
1-6     Tacea La Notte Placida     3:10
1-7     Quanto Narrasti     0:50
1-8     Di Tale Amor     1:27
1-9     Tace La Notte!     1:44
1-10     Deserto Sulla Terra     1:35
1-11     Non M'inganno     1:59
1-12     Di Geloso Amor Sprezzato     2:20

    Act II    
1-13     Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spogli     2:55
1-14     Stride La Vampa (Part 1)     1:22
1-15     Stride La Vampa (Part 2)     2:52
1-16     Soli Or Siamo     0:54
1-17     Condotta Ell'era In Ceppi     4:16
1-18     Non Sono Tuo Figlio?     2:00
1-19     Mal Reggendo All'aspro Assalto     2:51
1-20     L'usato Messo, Ruiz Invia     1:16
21     Perigliarti Ancor Languente     1:55
22     Tutto È Deserto     1:23
23     Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso     3:11
24     Qual Suono     0:42
25     Per Me Ora Fatale     2:00
26     Ah! Se L'error T'ingombra     2:05
27     Perchè Piangete     2:06
28     E Deggio E Posso Crederlo?     3:51

    Act III    
2-1     Or Co'dadi, Ma Fra Poco     1:57
2-2     Squilli, Echeggi La Tromba Guerriera     2:15
2-3     In Braccio Al Rival!     2:05
2-4     Giorni Poveri Vivea     4:15
2-5     Quale D'armi Fragor Poc'anzi Intesi?     1:55
2-6     Ah, Si, Ben Mio     2:50
2-7     Manrico     0:48
2-8     Di Quella Pira     2:04

    Act IV    
2-9     Siam Giunti     2:41
2-10     D'amor Sull'ali Rosee     3:24
2-11     Miserere     4:48
2-12     Udiste?     1:42
2-13     Mira, Di Acerbe Lagrime     1:52
2-14     Conte!     1:10
2-15     Vivrà! Contende Il Giubilo     2:04
2-16     Madre, Non Dormi?     4:29
2-17     Sì, la Stanchezza M'opprime     1:18
2-18     Ai Nostre Monte     2:05
2-19     Che! Non M'inganno!     3:59
2-20     Ti Scosta


Companies, etc.

    Recorded At – RCA Victor Studios, New York
    Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis
    Copyright (c) – Radio Corporation Of America

Credits:

    Baritone Vocals [An Old Gypsy] – George Cehanovsky
    Baritone Vocals [Graf Von Luna] – Leonard Warren
    Bass Vocals [Ferrando] – Nicola Moscona
    Chorus – The Robert Shaw Chorale
    Conductor [Chorus] – Robert Shaw
    Conductor [Orchestra] – Renato Cellini
    Cover [Painting] – Eugene Berman
    Directed By – Richard Mohr
    Engineer [Chief Recording Engineer] – A. A. Pulley*
    Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Louis W. Layton*
    Libretto By – Salvatore Cammarano
    Mezzo-soprano Vocals [Azucena] – Fedora Barbieri
    Mezzo-soprano Vocals [Ines] – Margaret Roggero
    Music By – Giuseppe Verdi
    Orchestra – RCA Victor Orchestra*
    Soprano Vocals [Leonora] – Zinka Milanov
    Tenor Vocals [A Messenger] – Nathaniel Sprinzena
    Tenor Vocals [Manrico] – Jussi Bjoerling*
    Tenor Vocals [Ruiz] – Paul Franke
    Translated By [Libretto Into English] – Edward J. Dent
    Written-By [Story] – Antonio García Gutiérrez

Notes:

Includes a 7" book of 84 pages with info and notes in English and the complete libretto in English.

Complete.
A "New Orthophonic" High Fidelity Recording.

© 1952 Radio Corporation of America
First performed at the Teatro Apollo, Rome, January 19, 1853.
Sung in Italian.

Giuseppe Verdi, Zinka Milanov, Fedora Barbieri, Jussi Björling, Leonard Warren, Margaret Roggero, Paul Franke, Nicola Moscona, The Robert Shaw Chorale, Robert Shaw, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Renato Cellini ‎– Verdi IL TROVATORE (Highlights)
Label: RCA Victor Red Seal ‎– 49-3874
Format: Vinyl, 45, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1955
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera
       
         
      
Viewfinder link:       
      
Giuseppe Verdi          
          
YouTube links:       
    
Jussi Björling ~ Di quella pira - (live) 1941           
       
Zinka Milanov ~    
      Tacea la notte placida       
      D'amor sull'ali rosee
       
Leonard Warren ~             
      Il balen del suo sorriso           
      
Björling-Milanov-Warren ~ Trio             
         
Fedora Barbieri & Del Monaco     
       
Giorgio Tozzi ~ Di due figli                 
     
         
    

       
       
           

Gee, I miss the old vinyl days!

       
       
      

Styrous® ~ Sunday, January 19, 2020      

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20,000 Vinyl LPs 161: Puccini ~ Tosca à la Price

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     original Tosca poster 

illustration by Adolfo Hohenstein

Today is the birthday of Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini aka Puccini, the composer of some of the greatest operas ever.       

     

As my tribute to Puccini (link below) I've selected my favorite opera by him, Tosca, sung by my favorite soprano, Leontyne Price (link below).      

Tosca premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on the Victorien Sardou, 1887 French-language dramatic play, La Tosca, is a melodramatic piece set in Rome in June 1800, with the Kingdom of Naples control of Rome threatened by the Napoleonic invasion of Italy. It contains depictions of torture, murder and suicide, as well as some of Puccini's best-known lyrical arias.     

With one exception, which will come later, this entry does not focus on the composer, the music, the singers nor the qualities of the recording but rather the album itself. It is an issue of excellent quality that has rarely been surpassed.       

The records come in a textured box with embossed gold ink. Included is a full color, soft cover, 12" x 12" book with historical information along with photos and libretto. The art work and album design was by Rita Thermes. 

The book includes a reproduction of the original poster by Adolfo Hohenstein for the opera (below and above): Tosca standing over Scarpia's body, about to lay a crucifix on his chest. The text reads: "Tosca: libretto di V Sardou, L Illica, G Giacosa. Musica di G Puccini. Riccardi & C. editori"        

 

The album is part of the Soria Series set up by Dorle J. Soria with her husband. Soria was a journalist, writer and publicist, born December 14, 1900; died July 7, 2002.        

Here is the exception. The two big "Hits" from Tosca are Vissi d'arte (link below), sung by Tosca in act two, scene one, and E lucevan le stelle (link below), sung by her lover, Mario Cavaradossi, in act three, scene one. Both arias are without a doubt incredibly beautiful, I don't deny that. But for me the gem of the opera is sung by the villain of Tosca, Baron Scarpia, at the finale of the first act. Va Tosca (link below) is sung during the Te Deum of a mass being performed in the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle with the congregation praising the Lord while Scarpia sings of his lust for Tosca and his plans to kill her lover. The sheer sacrilege of this action is astounding when considering the opera was written in the 1800's when the Roman Catholic Church was still all powerful in Italy.   

I've only seen Tosca once and the San Francisco Opera production I saw showcased the raw power of Scarpia's bold baritone voice in rutting heat counterpointed by the sincere and fervent devotional chorus of the congregation, white both are accompanied by a pipe organ, the bells in the church ringing out the mass and cannons firing in the square!      

It was absolutely breathtaking! It's a scene only out done by the Temple of Vulcan scene in act one, scene two of Verdi's, magnificent opera, Aida (link below).     

Inside the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle

set design by Adolfo Hohenstein 

The Te Deum scene which concludes act 1.          

SCARPIA
Go, Tosca!
Now Scarpia digs a nest within your heart!
Go, Tosca! Scarpia now sets loose
the soaring falcon of your jealousy!
How great a promise in your quick suspicions!
Now Scarpia digs a nest within your heart!
Go, Tosca!
(Scarpia kneels and prays as the cardinal passes.)

CHORUS
Adjutorum nostrum in nomine Domini
qui fecit coelum et terram.
Sit nomen Domini benedictum
et hoc nunc et usque in saeculum.

SCARPIA
My will takes aim now at a double target,
nor is the rebel's head the bigger prize...
Ah, to see the flame of those imperious eyes
grow faint and languid with passion...
For him, the rope,
and for her, my arms...

CHORUS
Te Deum laudamus:
Te Dominum confitemur!
(The sacred chant from the back of the church
startles Scarpia, as though awakening him from a
dream. He collects himself, makes the Sign of the
Cross.)

SCARPIA
Tosca, you make me forget God!
(He kneels and prays devoutly.)

CHORUS, SCARPIA
Te aeternum
Patrem omnis terra veneratur!

 Giacomo Puccini

Front cover of the original 1899 libretto

selected libretto pages

     

Vinyl LP, side 1

Vinyl LP, side 2

Vinyl LP, side 3

Vinyl LP, side 4

Tracklist:

Side 1:
A1 - Act I (Part 1)   

Side 2:
B1 - Act I (Concluded)   
B2 - Act II (Part 1)   

Side 3:
C1 - Act II (Concluded)   

Side 4:
D1 - Act III   

Credits:

    Artwork [Cover Painting] – Rita Thermes
    Baritone Vocals, Performer [Baron Scarpia] – Giuseppe Taddei
    Bass Vocals, Performer [Cesare Angelotti] – Carlo Cava
    Bass Vocals, Performer [Kerkermeister] – Alfredo Mariotti
    Bass Vocals, Performer [Mesner] – Fernando Corena
    Bass Vocals, Performer [Sciarrone] – Leonardo Monreale
    Chorus – Wiener Staatsopern-Chor*
    Chorus Master – Roberto Benaglio
    Composed By – Giacomo Puccini
    Conductor – Herbert Von Karajan
    Libretto By – Giuseppe Giacosa, Luigi Illica
    Orchestra – Wiener Philharmoniker
    Soprano Vocals, Performer [Floria Tosca] – Leontyne Price
    Soprano Vocals, Performer [Hirtenknabe] – Herbert Weiss
    Tenor Vocals, Performer [Mario Cavaradossi] – Giuseppe Di Stefano
    Tenor Vocals, Performer [Spoletta] – Piero Di Palma*

Notes:

Textured box with embossed gold ink. Full color booklet with historical information along with photos and libretto.

Leontyne Price / Giuseppe Di Stefano / Giuseppe Taddei / Herbert Von Karajan ‎– Puccini - Tosca
Label: RCA Victor Red Seal ‎– LDS 7022
Series: Soria Series –
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Box Set
Country: US
Released: 1964
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera
     

     
              

Viewfinder links:

          
Giacomo Puccini        

Leontyne Price
Giuseppe Di Stefano        
Giuseppe Verdi       
Herbert von Karajan     
       

Net links:

          

Tosca Synopsis      
 

YouTube links:

    

Leontyne Price ~ Vissi D´arte        

Giuseppe di Stefano - E lucevan le stelle        

Ruggero Raimondi - Tosca - Va, Tosca (Te Deum)        

          

           

      

       

         

         

Leontyne Price as Tosca

           

     

"Tosca, you make me forget God!"
                     ~ Baron Scarpia

        

         

         

Styrous® ~ Saturday, December 22, 2018             

              

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