The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

One hundred years ago today, there assembled in the New York recording laboratory of The Victor Talking Machine Company, John McCormack, the word's greatest lyric tenor; Fritz Kreisler, the world's greatest violinist; and Vincent O'Brien, John McCormack's first singing teacher. I find a certain poignancy in the choice of the piano accompanist, given that McCormack was only ten years removed from his first singing prize.

They bequeathed to us four beautiful specimens of that vanished style of art song that would soon perish as a world would become engulfed in war, and musical tastes altered forever. Three more selections were recorded on March 31st.

Could anything be more lovely than McCormack's voice in 1913-1914? That soon to be lost vocal plumminess from his mid-'twenties remains, while the confidence and authority certainly has increased from his earlier 1910-1912 Victor recordings. I can't imagine the blessing it would have been to hear him in person at this time.

Angel's Serenade:

http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/3817/

My family roots are Irish and my grandparents, born in 1879 and 1882, heard McCormack in concert whenever they had the opportunity.

If they were still alive today there is so much that I would like to ask them, but my grandfather died in 1929 and my grandmother in 1967. At least I still have some of their records, including many by McCormack.

A lovely recording.

Clay

Thank you for the information on this. Thank you also for reminding me that I have a copy of Angel's Serenade. I just had to play it on my L-door and the combination of machine and music is wonderful. Happy Anniversary, John.

Copies of Angel's Serenade are thick as fleas in the old 78 stacks. Many McOormack / Kreisler records are very common as well, but that must the most.

I'm also a big John McCormack fan. I think it's high time to pull out some of his records for a spin.

Did Victor ever refer to their studios as a laboratory? Perhaps they did, but not that I can recall.

epigramophone wrote:My family roots are Irish and my grandparents, born in 1879 and 1882, heard McCormack in concert whenever they had the opportunity.

If they were still alive today there is so much that I would like to ask them, but my grandfather died in 1929 and my grandmother in 1967. At least I still have some of their records, including many by McCormack.

That is quite fantastic!

I also acquired more McCormack records in the following circumstances...

My parents were friendly with a retired Catholic priest and his elderly housekeeper. After the priest died, the housekeeper went into a retirement home and gave me all his records. I could have had the gramophone (an HMV "Saxophone Horn" cabinet model) as well, but had no room for it at the time.

I never discovered what became of it, but in the early 1970's it would have been of little monetary value. I hope it has survived.

Beautiful recording!

Wolfe wrote:Did Victor ever refer to their studios as a laboratory? Perhaps they did, but not that I can recall.

It looks as though at least one former Victor employee did. Good enough for me.

http://www.davidsarnoff.org/soo-maintext.html

See entries for 3/26/03, and 8/17/03.

You're welcome for clearing up the matter.