I bought a collection of Edison records that were is exceptional condition. I appreciate classical music, but historic opera records like this should be in the hands of an opera lover.
Here is a link to my video. Be sure to turn on closed captioning, (cc).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIjxJotme-c
If you enjoyed the video, please check out this posting. http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 14&t=33165
Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
- audiophile102
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1219
- Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 12:50 pm
- Personal Text: Say to yourself I am so happy hurray!
- Location: Brookfield, Illinois
Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
Last edited by audiophile102 on Mon Dec 04, 2017 6:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
"You can't take the phonographs nor the money with you, but the contentment the phonographs bring may well make your life better, and happier lives make the world a better place."
- Wolfe
- Victor V
- Posts: 2755
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:52 pm
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
I don't think Fidelio or extracts from it were often recorded in those days. That record could surely be of interest to someone.
- marcapra
- Victor V
- Posts: 2180
- Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2012 12:29 am
- Personal Text: Man who ride on tiger find it very difficult to dismount! Charlie Chan
- Location: Temecula, CA
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
I also just got an Edison record with an excerpt from Fidelio on a green Amberol 4 min. wax cylinder. It could have been in the Grand Opera series, but it is serial no. 15034, which is the German series. The title is Arie des Florestan aus der Oper "Fidelio" (L. von Beethoven) B. Haberl. It is the same aria, "Gott, welch Dunkel hier" (God what darkness here), as on your DD, but sung by one B. Haberl.
- Lucius1958
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3935
- Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 12:17 am
- Location: Where there's "hamburger ALL OVER the highway"...
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
Could we get that video on a format that actually works???
Bill
Bill
- audiophile102
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1219
- Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 12:50 pm
- Personal Text: Say to yourself I am so happy hurray!
- Location: Brookfield, Illinois
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
My mistake. It's here.Lucius1958 wrote:Could we get that video on a format that actually works???
Bill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIjxJotme-c
"You can't take the phonographs nor the money with you, but the contentment the phonographs bring may well make your life better, and happier lives make the world a better place."
-
- Victor II
- Posts: 429
- Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 5:52 am
- Location: Redruth, Cornwall, U.K.
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
The Dutch tenor Jacques Urlus was a highly admired interpreter of the German operatic repertoire, and this seems to be a noble account of Florestan's opening aria – sometimes regarded by people who do not care for opera as a prime specimen of the absurdity of the form, since Florestan (who is supposed to be in a dungeon) generally has to sing 'God, what darkness here!' in the full glare of the spotlights.
Was it usual for Edison operatic records to include spoken 'programme notes' on the back? The only other recording company I know of that did this was Aeolian-Vocalion in the early 1920s.
Oliver Mundy.
Was it usual for Edison operatic records to include spoken 'programme notes' on the back? The only other recording company I know of that did this was Aeolian-Vocalion in the early 1920s.
Oliver Mundy.
- Wolfe
- Victor V
- Posts: 2755
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:52 pm
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
There are some DD's that have a talk on the opposite side. I don't know the whole backstory on how many, if it's confined to a time period, etc. I own just one DD like that and I can't remember the aria offhand, IIRC, it's something common.Menophanes wrote: Was it usual for Edison operatic records to include spoken 'programme notes' on the back? The only other recording company I know of that did this was Aeolian-Vocalion in the early 1920s.
Oliver Mundy.
- Valecnik
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3828
- Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:28 pm
- Personal Text: Edison Records - Close your eyes and see if the artist does not actually seem to be before you.
- Location: Česká Republika
- Contact:
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
The very early Edison Operatics, 82000, 82500 and 83000 series were initially blank on one side. Slightly later pressings of the same matrix nos added a narrative about the selection and the artist on the backside. Usually, possibly always the narrator was Harry Humphrey. Some of them are quite interesting.Wolfe wrote:There are some DD's that have a talk on the opposite side. I don't know the whole backstory on how many, if it's confined to a time period, etc. I own just one DD like that and I can't remember the aria offhand, IIRC, it's something common.Menophanes wrote: Was it usual for Edison operatic records to include spoken 'programme notes' on the back? The only other recording company I know of that did this was Aeolian-Vocalion in the early 1920s.
Oliver Mundy.
- audiophile102
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1219
- Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 12:50 pm
- Personal Text: Say to yourself I am so happy hurray!
- Location: Brookfield, Illinois
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
I looked up Harry Humphrey on the Library of Congress web site and found several recordings confirming that it is his voice on the back of Fidelio. Here is one of his more fun recordings for Edison I enjoyed. https://www.loc.gov/item/00694071/ Here is an interesting bio I found. Turns out he was an actor too. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0401918/bio? ... _ov_bio_sm
"You can't take the phonographs nor the money with you, but the contentment the phonographs bring may well make your life better, and happier lives make the world a better place."
-
- Victor II
- Posts: 429
- Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 5:52 am
- Location: Redruth, Cornwall, U.K.
Re: Beethoven's Fidelio Opera Edison Record
At any rate Mr. Humphrey manages better than Vocalion's announcer on the one specimen of the kind which I have ('Voi lo sapete' from Cavalleria Rusticana, sung by Kathleen Destournel). This gentleman discourses on the 'remockably verrile [virile] and millodious' quality of Mascagni's music and renders the name Turiddu as something between 'Torridyou' and 'Toreador'.
Oliver Mundy.
Oliver Mundy.