Melba Records

[Viva-voce]

That's a nice score finding those early Melba G&T records with the original Melba sleeves. In the USA, Victor imported 25 titles including all 14 of the published sides from the March 1904 session, 2 from October 1904, and 9 from the sessions of September 1905, but unlike the G&T labels, the Victors did not include the session dates. It's interesting that the high prices of Melba's records seem to only apply to the recordings she made for G&T (1904-1906.) Starting with her next batch of recordings, made for Victor in 1907, those were placed on the market for the same prices as those of other top-tier level Red Seal artists, with 12" solos priced at $3 each and $4 for her two duets with Gilibert (and later ones with Kubelik) and the duet with Caruso at $5. These would have sold for the same equivalent price in other countries as well.
Since the new recordings at $3 were little over half the price of the previous ones, one wonders how the buying public felt when after only a couple of years they could now buy her records, which were mostly re-makes of the earlier titles, for much less. It's a similar marketing situation that continues today, when the retail price of a new product comes down not too long after its debut. Of course, in this case it was obviously due to the terms agreed to in Melba's new recording contracts. Regarding the Victor imported Melba pressings, I have not seen any that were pressed beyond the era when her first domestic Victor recordings were released in 1907. Victor might have deleted them before they released the new and less expensive series for obvious reasons. But in Europe, several of her 1904-06 titles were in print for many years afterward, and i wonder if the prices were adjusted to reflect those of her later recordings. Anyhow, it's interesting that Melba was so important to Victor (more than Caruso) in the beginning but not so very much by the late 'teens.
And back to those original early Melba sleeves, they seem to be much rarer than the discs, at least the Victor ones.
Thanks for reading my long-winded post and congratulations on finding that lovely cache!

Steven

[CarlosV]

And back to those original early Melba sleeves, they seem to be much rarer than the discs, at least the Victor ones.
Thanks for reading my long-winded post and congratulations on finding that lovely cache!

Steven

Thanks, it is a quite interesting assessment of the similarity in the marketing strategies of Victor and G&T! The sleeves are frayed at the edges but otherwise in quite good shape. The amount of acid added to the paper at its manufacturing is the main cause for its decay, even when stored in ideal conditions, and these G&T are much less brittle than, say, the early Edison DD sleeves, that crumble at the touch. Some early Victor sleeves were similarly brittle, which (I guess) could explain the rarity of the Victor Melba sleeves in our days.

[gramophone78]

Here is a US Melba record with special picture sleeve and a Canadian Berliner pressed Melba label record.

[Roaring20s]

An interesting read and nice to see the variety of sleeves with pasted images.

[msherman]

From "The Collector's Guide to Victor Records" - (Revised 2010 edition) published by Monarch Record Enterprises.

[Viva-voce]

I bought recently five Melba records, all in excellent condition - as much as a 1904 Hanover pressing would allow. But the most interesting is that each disc was in its own sleeve, with a nice photo of Melba, and the title of the song, as well as its pitch. Quite an achievement in early marketing! And up to my British friends to tell me if the price of 21/- is reasonable or not .

Hi Carlos,

I know this thread is almost two years old but I wanted to share I recently acquired two first-stamper Melba G&T’s from the March 1904 series in their original Melba sleeves: both parts of the Hamlet aria. The sleeves and the discs are in excellent condition. These are very nice to have and the G&T sleeves are quite a lovely design indeed.

Steven

[Inigo]

Very nice...!
I only have three late Melba sides, all current Gramophone pressings of Victor recordings of 1907 and 1910, one of them British: Ave Maria from Otello, the duo Soave Fanciulla with Caruso, and the Rigoletto quartet with McCormack, Sammarco and Edna Thornton.

[Viva-voce]

Very nice...!
I only have three late Melba sides, all current Gramophone pressings of Victor recordings of 1907 and 1910, one of them British: Ave Maria from Otello, the duo Soave Fanciulla with Caruso, and the Rigoletto quartet with McCormack, Sammarco and Edna Thornton.

Thanks!
Is your copy of the Rigoletto quartet a single or double-faced record? I’ve wondered if it was ever released in single-sided format. Mine was double-sided green HMV with the Otello—Ave Maria on the reverse.

[epigramophone]

Very nice...!
I only have three late Melba sides, all current Gramophone pressings of Victor recordings of 1907 and 1910, one of them British: Ave Maria from Otello, the duo Soave Fanciulla with Caruso, and the Rigoletto quartet with McCormack, Sammarco and Edna Thornton.

Thanks!
Is your copy of the Rigoletto quartet a single or double-faced record? I’ve wondered if it was ever released in single-sided format. Mine was double-sided green HMV with the Otello—Ave Maria on the reverse.

The Rigoletto Quartet was recorded in London in May 1910 and issued as single sided HMV 2-054025.
It was not until 1924 that HMV began issuing their Celebrity records in double sided format.
A notable exception was Patti, whose records remained single sided until they were deleted.

[CarlosV]

Hi Carlos,

I know this thread is almost two years old but I wanted to share I recently acquired two first-stamper Melba G&T’s from the March 1904 series in their original Melba sleeves: both parts of the Hamlet aria. The sleeves and the discs are in excellent condition. These are very nice to have and the G&T sleeves are quite a lovely design indeed.

Steven

Very nice, Steven, and congratulations for the acquisition! These G&T Melbas and their covers are great examples of marketing and the start of the star system in the recording industry. They were so expensive at the time that probably the owners treated them with special care, allowing collectors like us to find them in good shape a century after their issue.