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Hello,

I am seeking an E- or better copy of Dmitri Smirnov singing "Sleep my beauty" from Rimsky-Korsakov's "May Night." This is G&T catalogue 022155. Please PM me if you have a copy you are willing to move on!

Garret

Is that the same recording reissued as HMV V.B.39?

I don't know, but surely someone else here does!

Garret

For the majority of titles my 1951 HMV Archive Series catalogue shows the original recording dates, but sadly not for VB39.

Smirnov's first recordings date from 1909, well after the G&T era, but in Russia the Pre-Dog label continued to be used in preference to "His Master's Voice". 22155 was recorded in St.Petersburg no later than 1910, and if it was released in Britain the Hayes pressings would of course carry the HMV label.

The copy on Russian Records https://www.russian-records.com/details ... ge_id=2422 shows that VB39 was a reissue of the 1909 recording. There was also a double sided red label issue DB697.

If you haven’t heard it, the Sobinov recording is also very fine, and comes across well on a vinyl pressing by Symposium - https://www.russian-records.com/details ... e_id=41844

Of the other early recordings, Damaev is too strenuous, and this is definitely not Rosing’s song!

Thank you so much for sharing the link!

Garret