The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here is a rather noisy (but somewhat tamed) Gramophone Monarch Record from about 1908, a duet from Il Barbieri di Siviglia: Dunque io son

Transferred at about 73.5 rpm (not 75 as I had written on the label some years ago) with a 2.3 mil TE stylus. I decided to spare everyone the unfiltered transfer.

IMO Victor elicited generally superior results around this time, with regards to both pressing material and recording quality, but its European affiliate had superior breadth of performers and repertory in its catalog (of course drawing from Britain as well as the Continent). This was issued on Victor as well, which I don't have.

Great recording despite having awful lot of surface noise. Thanks for sharing this for all of us. Regarding Maria Galvany ; I usually find her fast trills little bit unpleasant to my ears, but this one is very enjoyable. Of course, Titta Ruffo was always superb.

By the way, the conductor's name spelled in two different ways; either Carlo Sabajno or Carlo Sabaino - wonder what his real name was.

The conductor's name was spelled both ways, but either is correct. "i" and "j" both act as vowels here, and are essentially equivalent; it's pronounced "Sa-ba-EE-no". I used to pronounce it "Sab-EYE-no" before I knew any better...

It's really only very noisy at the start, but then the noise levels off to "Victor" levels. I find this an amazing rendition, and the sound is actually quite good (it would sound great on a vinyl pressing, I'm sure).

The conductor's name was spelled both ways, but either is correct. "i" and "j" both act as vowels here, and are essentially equivalent; it's pronounced "Sa-ba-EE-no". I used to pronounce it "Sab-EYE-no" before I knew any better...

It's really only very noisy at the start, but then the noise levels off to "Victor" levels. I find this an amazing rendition, and the sound is actually quite good (it would sound great on a vinyl pressing, I'm sure).

It shouldn't be hard to find this on a US pressing, I know I've got at least two of them in my mountain of acoustics that need sorting and dealing with.

Hopefully by the time winter rolls around I'll be done with household projects that have been keeping me away from my collection and I'll actually have time to do transfers again, I know some people have been after me to do things, but I haven't had time, nor access, to thousands of my records.

Anyway, it is a great performance.

Sean