Who was Melle Broglia?
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- Victor Monarch Special
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Who was Melle Broglia?
I recently acquired the record pictured below. The seller had dated it to 1907, but I have been unable to find any details about the singer. Any information would be gratefully received :
- Cody K
- Victor III
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Re: Who was Melle Broglia?
This is totally conjecture, and probably a real long shot, but I wonder if "Melle" is a corruption of "Mlle.", and "Broglia" an Italianization of "Brohly" for whatever reason, possibly contractual (?) -- leading me to guess that this might possibly be Suzanne Brohly (1882-1943)...is this the Meyerbeer recording, by any chance?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hobMFCTKIw
Here's her bio: https://forgottenoperasingers.blogspot. ... toire.html
Note that in the bio link, the first listing under "Records for Sale" includes "Ah, mon fils" recorded in August, 1908, and the fourth listing is a recording of the Verdi you have, dated July 2, 1909, which puts both recordings in roughly the proper time frame -- and the Verdi title is listed, oddly, in French rather than Italian, as on your disc. All of which proves nothing, except that both Brohly and "Broglia" recorded both selections around the same time -- and suggests at least that both singers might be the same person.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hobMFCTKIw
Here's her bio: https://forgottenoperasingers.blogspot. ... toire.html
Note that in the bio link, the first listing under "Records for Sale" includes "Ah, mon fils" recorded in August, 1908, and the fourth listing is a recording of the Verdi you have, dated July 2, 1909, which puts both recordings in roughly the proper time frame -- and the Verdi title is listed, oddly, in French rather than Italian, as on your disc. All of which proves nothing, except that both Brohly and "Broglia" recorded both selections around the same time -- and suggests at least that both singers might be the same person.
"Gosh darn a Billiken anyhow."- Uncle Josh Weathersby
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- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 5226
- Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:21 pm
- Personal Text: An analogue relic trapped in a digital world.
- Location: The Somerset Levels, UK.
Re: Who was Melle Broglia?
Many thanks for this. Your theory spurred me on to further research, and this is what I found :
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=D9Q ... gs&f=false
Both Broglia's and Brohly's names appear in relation to "Le Prophete", and my Odeon recording is listed as Broglia's. Unfortunately only a few brief extracts from the book could be viewed on line, and they proved impossible to download and print. It is entirely possible that this was one singer recording as Broglia for Odeon and Brohly for HMV. Fascinating!
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=D9Q ... gs&f=false
Both Broglia's and Brohly's names appear in relation to "Le Prophete", and my Odeon recording is listed as Broglia's. Unfortunately only a few brief extracts from the book could be viewed on line, and they proved impossible to download and print. It is entirely possible that this was one singer recording as Broglia for Odeon and Brohly for HMV. Fascinating!
- Curt A
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Re: Who was Melle Broglia?
Here is the selection from the book...
"The phonograph is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife