Zelie de Lussan 1861-1949

[epigramophone]

Here is one of the more interesting finds from a recently purchased job lot of about 100 mainly operatic records.

Despite being one of the first Red Seal recording artistes, Zelie de Lussan's discography is a very small one. Five sides for Victor in 1903 and four for Beka in 1906. None were issued in the UK, but two of the Bekas found their way onto the UK Ariel label.

Ariel records, produced from 1911 to 1937, were made by various suppliers for the J G Graves mail order business of Sheffield. Their origins were identified by the block numbers of their matrices, with Beka being allocated the 8000 series.

[Governor Flyball]

That is a brilliant find. I thought de Lussan only made the few sides for early Victor. Interesting the recorded in Gt Britain and pressed in Berlin. Similar to the early G&T records. And the title only listed as Mignon is a hoot. Assume it is the Ambroise Thomas - Mignon - "Connais-tu le pays" ?

I am curious what else you found in the same bunch?

[epigramophone]

The Mignon title is the less well known "Styrienne" and the other two Beka recordings were :
Tribut de Zamora (Gounod)
I know a lovely garden (D'Hardelot)
There is an incomplete Ariel dicography on line which does not include these titles.

Also unusual are two single sided Zarzuela records :
Victor 10 inch Red Seal 61210 : Emilio Sagi-Barba (1876-1949) LA GRAN VIA : Caballero de Gracia.
Disque Zonophone 10 inch X-53213 : Rosario Soler (1879-1944) LAS BRIBONAS : Tientos.

[Inigo]

The Victor is a reissue of a Spanish gramophone recording. Victor pressed for the US market several of Sagi-Barba recordings. He was a much loved Spanish baritone, married to the soprano (special light soprano voice called tiple in Spain) Luisa Vela. They toured extensively and their heyday was between 1905 and 1925. Sagi-Barba continued recording by the twenties, and he retired in 1932. Luisa retired much earlier from her career. Their son Luis Sagi-Vela took the scenery after his father in 1932, and was also a renown tenor until the sixties, I believe...
The Zono must be a Spanish gramófono pressing, by the number. Rosario Soler was also a well known tiple who recorded profusely until mid twenties.
These two singers are the most commonly found in Spanish 78s of 1910-1920 era. If you go to the Rastro flea market in Madrid, it is common to see several of their old 78s every Sunday, in every corner...! When you spot a bunch of old 78s with the old style gramophone labels, 70% chances that you'll find some records by one or the other... These must have sold by the millions, in Spain, of course.
Nice findings.