The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I stuck my nose into a little local SPCA thrift shop in my small town today and there, among piles of LPs, was a complete and intact Lucia Di Lammermoor on 13 12" Columbia Masterworks 78s recorded at La Scala, priced at $7. Of course it had to come home with me. There is no indication when it was recorded, any brochure that may have come with it being long gone. The label design copyright is from 1937. I will try to listen to it this week.

Clay

Whatever it is... $7 is a no brainer... hope it turns out to be good.

If it's Mercedes Capsir / Enzo de Muro Lomanto / Molajoli & La Scala, it's recording is from 1929.

It shows chorus and orchestra of La Scala, Milan, conducted by Molajoli. There is no list of soloists on the album covers. Names included on the labels include E. Venturini, E. Molinari, S. Baccaloni, Mercedes Capsir, I. Mannarini, etc. A bit of research indicates that the particular record label format was used in 1937 and 1938, but of course it could be a reissue.

Clay

Not necessarily a "reissue", many complete operas and symphonies were in print for a long time, some for 20+ years during the 78 era. Some of the Victor complete operas such as "Aida", "Don Giovanni" and "Carmen" were later 1920s recordings that stayed in the catalog right up until the format began to be phased out in the late 1940s-early 1950s. Some terrific stuff in those grooves, too.

Sean

I once had the opportunity to obtain Tristan und Isolde on 78s. IIRC, there were perhaps three 12" albums, maybe 30 records (60 sides) total, and of course it all weighed a ton. I passed. And it would have been free! Five or six hours of listening, winding, getting up and down, changing needles, dozing off, winding, etc., etc.---somehow it just didn't appeal.

The Columbia set of Tristan is two volumes, 12 inch discs, I think 30 discs total. It's a beast of a set. Somebody gave it to me years ago in the correct Viva-Tonal albums and booklet. I admit, I've never played it all, along with most of my other complete operas like this but I have them if I ever feel like it!

Sean

OrthoSean wrote:The Columbia set of Tristan is two volumes, 12 inch discs, I think 30 discs total. It's a beast of a set. Somebody gave it to me years ago in the correct Viva-Tonal albums and booklet. I admit, I've never played it all, along with most of my other complete operas like this but I have them if I ever feel like it!

Sean

Good luck. It's a bit too much Wagner for me. I couldn't sustain my interest for the duration of the MET matinee broadcast this season. And that didn't even involve changing records!

The Lucia has always required a bit of dedication. It is set up to be played one disc at a time (e.g, part 2 is on the back of part 1) rather than being stacked on a changer.

Clay