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Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 5:15 am
by transformingArt
Here's the photo I found at the EMI Archive website, according to the description,
This is a collection of 12 'brown wax' Edison phonograph cylinders. Each is housed, for display purposes, in a purpose made glass dome on a wooden base. The recordings include: 'Marguerite' played by C.P.Dana (Coronet Solo) 'Now i lay me down to sleep' played by U.S Mygrants (Coronet Solo) 'Say au revoir but no good bye' sung by Edward M.Favor (Ballad) 'The Darkie's Dream' played by Vess L. Ossman (Banjo Solo) 'L'Arlesienne Pastorale' played by French Garde Republicine Band 'Selections from trip to Chinatown' Played by the 23rd Regiment Band of New York Michael Casey 'Taking the census' A humorous selection by Russell Hunting. 'The Mocking Bird' by Billy Golden (Whistling Song) 'Stars and Stripes forever' by Issler's Orchestra (March) 'Martha Jane Green' sung by Len Spencer 'Echo Song' by Madame Patti 'Home Sweet Home' by Madame Patti
I heard some rumors about Patti's cylinder recordings; in fact, I have a IRCC record of "Patti", singing "The Echo Song", which was later turned out to be a fake. But later I heard that she actually made a cylinder recordings and some of them were stored in HMV archives for years, until it was shattered during the Blitz. So I wonder if those two broken cylinders out there is really the Patti recordings. If so, is there any possibilities to get some sound out of it? I know those Archeophones can play some broken cylinders as well as normal ones.
Has anyone some more information about this matter?
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:01 am
by Starkton
Thank you very much for sharing the photo from the EMI archive.
I have read that Patti's "Home sweet home" cylinder was among several phonograms of famous men and women to be sent on a tour through Australia and New Zealand in 1894. I have also read that one Patti cylinder was sent to Edison. An unconfirmed press report of 1897 even tells that Patti herself owned a phonograph, forwarding cylinders to close friends.
The earliest Patti I have is a genuine testpressing of December 1905, still bearing only the matrix number, from my favorite song: Pur dicesti
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 12:42 pm
by Nat
Gost, I'd love to hear the Patti - thanks for posting!
My favorite of her recording is the Ah non credea, with that unbelievable trill! Still a great singer: not much voice left, but engaging creatively with the music; one of a handful of recordings I call truly great, truly reference material.
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 12:49 pm
by OrthoSean
Patti's "Home Sweet Home" is a favorite of mine. I have a couple copies of it in less than great condition that I play guilt-free on my machines.
Sean
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 1:29 pm
by Lenoirstreetguy
Well the most amazing things turn up in the most surprising places. I had heard about this but I thought it had been lost rather than broken.
Remember the Bettini concert cylinder of Marcella Sembrich that surfaced in a hotel attic in New Zealand in the late 60's? I have a dub of that on a Primo 7inch vinyl. It's unmistakably Sembrich all right, but I've often wondered if it is a fake, although I've never read that it was . Unlike those " dubs" of Jean de Reszke that appeared about the same time . They were so bad as to be funny: fake surface noise and all.
Jim
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:32 pm
by Nat
There's a glimpse of De Reszke in the Mapleson cylinders - I do wish someone like Pristine Audio would have a go at cleaning those up; as used as I am to hiss and crackle, they're an effort to listen to.
There was a rumor at one time of a De Reszke cylinder in Windsor Castle...
Nat
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 4:40 pm
by Starkton
transformingArt wrote:So I wonder if those two broken cylinders out there is really the Patti recordings. If so, is there any possibilities to get some sound out of it? I know those Archeophones can play some broken cylinders as well as normal ones.
I think this is a job for Michael Khanchalian, the cylinder doctor.
He restored a cracked light yellow wax cylinder with early recitations from Goethe's "Faust" from my collection. He did an excellent job.
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 5:26 pm
by Lenoirstreetguy
Nat wrote:There's a glimpse of De Reszke in the Mapleson cylinders - I do wish someone like Pristine Audio would have a go at cleaning those up; as used as I am to hiss and crackle, they're an effort to listen to.
There was a rumor at one time of a De Reszke cylinder in Windsor Castle...
Nat
And I've read that there was a " private disc owned by Queen Alexandra.." I tend to believe this. Queen Alexandra (Edward VII's consort) though hard of hearing was a great fan of the opera. She also was a fan of the gramophone because she, like Edison , could hear it. The disc would probably be a test pressing of one of the two Fonotipia sides which de Reszke did in fact record: an aria from
Romeo et Juiliette and one from
Le Cid. There is also the rumour that he recorded a test side or two for The Gramophone Co's Paris branch. But I betcha there was at one time a recording in the hands of the Royal Family. It's probably in a garret at Sandringham or St Jame's Palace which is where Alexandra lived after Edward's death.
Jim
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 5:53 pm
by Swing Band Heaven
Lenoirstreetguy wrote: But I betcha there was at one time a recording in the hands of the Royal Family. It's probably in a garret at Sandringham or St Jame's Palace which is where Alexandra lived after Edward's death.
Jim
Well, when queenie dies and Sandringham, Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle have been cleared out and converted into holiday flats for american tourists it may well turn up
Re: Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....
Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:00 pm
by Lenoirstreetguy
Oh oh ! You better keep that thought to yourself or you're never going to get your OBE
JRT