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Edison Amberols of Martinelli

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:50 am
by Victrolacollector
I am wondering if Edison released electrically recorded Amberols of Giovanni Martinelli?

Re: Edison Amberols of Martinelli

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:34 am
by 52089
I have looked in both the wax and blue Amberol books published by Mainspring Press. Neither lists any cylinders by Martinelli.

Re: Edison Amberols of Martinelli

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 2:34 pm
by Victrolacollector
52089 wrote:I have looked in both the wax and blue Amberol books published by Mainspring Press. Neither lists any cylinders by Martinelli.
Thanks for checking, I know that he recorded on discs and eventually on Edison lateral 78's. I was reading somewhere that before Edison left the phonograph business in 1929, there was some suggestion or orders to let Martinelli know they were closing and then let him go elsewhere to work. It seemed as if Edison really liked Martinelli. I don't think we can say the same for Sergei Rachmaninoff.

I also read somewhere at the end of the business Edison offered cylinders for cheap to dealers with no returns. He also ordered records burned.

Re: Edison Amberols of Martinelli

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:20 pm
by VanEpsFan1914
Martinelli's awesome. His voice is great--a little smoother than Caruso, not as much power, but glorious. Another fine artist from the golden age of vocal music.

Re: Edison Amberols of Martinelli

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:31 pm
by Gatyam
Charlie Hummel also has a beautiful, pure tenor voice that would have sold very well back in the hey-day of Victor and Edison. It is as melodic and lyrical as it is powerful.

Re: Edison Amberols of Martinelli

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 6:30 pm
by Wolfe
VanEpsFan1914 wrote:Martinelli's awesome. His voice is great--a little smoother than Caruso, not as much power, but glorious. Another fine artist from the golden age of vocal music.
Eh, I remember someone (forget who) who described Martinelli's voice as like 'squeezing toothpaste out of an empty tube' or words to that effect. I tend to concur. Although his musical instincts seem sound, and he made some excellent records with other singers, like Ezio Pinza and so on. Long career, too, I believe his last appearance in opera was in 1967.

Re: Edison Amberols of Martinelli

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 7:11 pm
by gramophone-georg
Wolfe wrote:
VanEpsFan1914 wrote:Martinelli's awesome. His voice is great--a little smoother than Caruso, not as much power, but glorious. Another fine artist from the golden age of vocal music.
Eh, I remember someone (forget who) who described Martinelli's voice as like 'squeezing toothpaste out of an empty tube' or words to that effect. I tend to concur. Although his musical instincts seem sound, and he made some excellent records with other singers, like Ezio Pinza and so on. Long career, too, I believe his last appearance in opera was in 1967.
So is he like the Bob Dylan of opera, then? :lol:

Re: Edison Amberols of Martinelli

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 7:20 pm
by Wolfe
I suppose that depends on how you look at it. I've never found Dylan's voice objectionable within the idioms he works in, he's a highly effective singer. I don't think I want to hear him sing opera though.