The Victor book of the opera

[gramophoneshane]

I got this book a few days ago & have a couple questions.
How long were these printed?
The front page has a copyright date of 1912, but doesn't say if it's a first or tenth edition. I'm guessing it's a fairly common book in USA, but not one that would have hit the million sellers list.
Were they only produced for a short time, or into the 1920s & beyond?
Did Victor have other such books available, like a book on classical music for example?

Mine isn't in great condition, and I wouldn't mind getting a better copy, but being in Australia I doubt a better copy will turn up here. Do they turn up for sale in USA very often, and about what sort of price would I expect to pay for a good clean copy?

[wjw]

Shane, I think 1912 was the first year. Don't know when the editions stopped, but I remember my mom had one from the late 1930's lurking in the house. I got a like-new 1912 edition (purple-ish cover) at a show for 12 dollars. They must have sold very well , or perhaps given away by dealers as they turn up often.

[Wolfe]

I think they may have even gone into the 40's, remembering looking at one that people like Lily Pons in it.

I have an edition that I've used many times as reference for learning of the recordings of 'golden age' singers, and who sang what. Sure the internet now may have more to offer, but a book like that can still be a handy thing to just have sitting on the shelf. And the photos are great.

[JohnM]

1912 is the earliest I have seen. At some point they morphed into the Victrola Book of the Opera.

[melvind]

1912 is the 1st issue. They were published right up to the late 70s. It's a pretty amazing book and a very successful series. Many music schools used the later editions (from the 50s on) as reference books for their voice students.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Wjw is right:1912 was the first year. I like that one and the earlier editions...a lot because they're more of a shill for Victor Records than the later editions which tried to be a real reference work...with a list of recordings at the end of the articles. The earlier ones have more pictures too. The VB of the O was taken up in the 1960's by Simon and Schuster I think think, so the name continued after RCA dumped it. Shane, since you're in HMV country you must have run on to the Gramophone Comapany's equivalent the Opera at Home series of books which of course reflect the opera scene in London the way the VBOTO reflects New York and Boston ( and a little Chicago in the later editions.) The books were sold cheaply like all the Victor publications..like What We Hear in Music and The Victrola in the Rural School. They are great books on the whole. The only one that is a yawn is the The Victor Book of the Symphony, which falls into that school of musical analysis that likes to talk about the structure of the work rather than anything factually interesting ..." the theme reappears in truncated form in the woodwinds although the dotted rhythmic nature makes us yearn for the oboe to break forth in the original expression of .......blah blah blah "

Jim

[larryh]

In the states these are very common and very often go though ebay without a bid. Not very popular I would say.. I have several versions and pass them up all the time. My latest probably is in the late 20's period. Columbia has a sort of similar book, is it "What we Hear in Music"? Not sure that might be a victor product, but columbia has a sort of review book but it isn't strictly opera. For records after the electrical era started I always like the Record Books by David Hall that reviews all the types of classical brands and gives insight as to what at least he considered a quality sounding recording for the time.

Larry

[Wolfe]

They were published right up to the late 70s.

You sure about that?

[melvind]

They were published right up to the late 70s.

You sure about that?

Yes, I have a late one. Here is the copyright info from the inside.

Copyright 1929 by Victor Talking Machine Company
Copyright 1936 by RCA Manufacturing Company, Inc., Camden, New Jersey
Copytight (c) 1949, 1953, 1968 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Permission to use "Victor" in the title of this book. "Victor" being an exclusive tradmark owned by that company
Published by Simon and Schuster
Rockefeller Center, 630 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10020

Thirteenth Edition
First Printing.

I have seen at least one from the 70s, but I don't remember if was just a later printing of this one, or a further revision.

Dan

[gramophoneshane]

Thank you everybody for the information, and thank you yankmycrank for the pm you sent.
I'll have to keep an eye out for the HMV version too.