Sextette - Chi mi Frena, Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)

[schallplatte]

Victor Talking Machine Company
Lucia di Lammermoor : Sextet - Chi Mi Frena (Donizetti)
1917

I recommend reading Michael Sherman's "Collector's Guide to Victor Records" as he devotes several pages to the Lucia Sextette. The 1917 version linked above is the third one to feature Caruso and was priced at "only" $5, the two earlier versions (1908 and 1912) having been sold for the then-astronomical price of $7 at a time when $5 when a fairly respectable week's pay.

There are other versions on Victor on the purple and blue seal labels as well, plus an electric verion from 1927.

I agree, the "Collector's Guide to Victor Records" is an excellent book. It's filled with a tremendous amount of interesting and helpful information. Regarding the early Victor Red Seal releases of the Lucia Sextet, I have original pressings of all three of the Caruso versions. All of the Caruso versions are outstanding and feature a cast of wonderful singers on each. Victor's operatic recording artists were unparalleled in their day IMHO.

The original price of these Lucia Sextet pressings is astounding considering average wages of the era. They would have been cost prohibitive for the average worker. Despite the extraordinary cost, most of the celebrity ensemble recordings sold quite well, and copies are still fairly common for many of these.

[Valecnik]

Victor Talking Machine Company
Lucia di Lammermoor : Sextet - Chi Mi Frena (Donizetti)
1917

I recommend reading Michael Sherman's "Collector's Guide to Victor Records" as he devotes several pages to the Lucia Sextette. The 1917 version linked above is the third one to feature Caruso and was priced at "only" $5, the two earlier versions (1908 and 1912) having been sold for the then-astronomical price of $7 at a time when $5 when a fairly respectable week's pay.

There are other versions on Victor on the purple and blue seal labels as well, plus an electric verion from 1927.

I agree, the "Collector's Guide to Victor Records" is an excellent book. It's filled with a tremendous amount of interesting and helpful information. Regarding the early Victor Red Seal releases of the Lucia Sextet, I have original pressings of all three of the Caruso versions. All of the Caruso versions are outstanding and feature a cast of wonderful singers on each. Victor's operatic recording artists were unparalleled in their day IMHO.


The original price of these Lucia Sextet pressings is astounding considering average wages of the era. They would have been cost prohibitive for the average worker. Despite the extraordinary cost, most of the celebrity ensemble recordings sold quite well, and copies are still fairly common for many of these.

I got about 40 of the 12" Victor, (mostly Victor) Operatics, most from 1906 - 1910,11. I was surprised by the prices, $5 and up per record. Amazingly they came with an A250 that also had the lateral reproducer. It also came with lots of diamond discs mostly in the 80000, 82000, 83000 series. I suppose the original owner kept these lateral discs when he upgraded to the new Edison since they were quite expensive.