The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here is the second side of the vinyl Tamagno Historic Masters record made from original metal masters now held by EMI. An interesting set of repeated tests with Melba standing at various distances from the recording horn. Some interesting results and it shows, at least to me, that she should have always been recorded much closer to the horn than she did on her finished records.

At the end of the first set of tests there is some hard to decipher dialog where you can hear Dame Melba's voice and some male voices as well. I will have to listen with headphones to see if I can hear what is said a bit better.


[youtubehd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzjX6AaomIE[/youtubehd]
https://youtu.be/GzjX6AaomIE

Interesting is that Dame Melba was 49 years of age in 1910, and I find her voice to have a litheness and suppleness belying her age. Agree that the closest proximity to the horn yields an outstanding result, astonishing even for a mechanical recording. Incidentally, I did listen to this with headphones, but was unable to discern what was being said conversationally at the end. Thanks for uploading!

The second time she's closest to the horn, at about 00:50, it's quite overmodulated.

It would be nice to have an opera singer, a Melba, that close to the horn, but they had to be careful back then not overcut a laterally recorded wax master. A sound too intense would have the cutting stylus plow right through the groove wall of the master and the take ruined.

What a perfect trill she had! Never ceases to amaze.

Steven

The immediacy is astounding. If you hadn't stated who was performing on the test, I would have guessed someone not past 35.