The Record of Singing Volumes 1-4 - From 1899 to the end of the 78 Era (1899-1952) - Box Set 10CDs

Label : EMI
Format : Flac (image + cue)
Cover : Yes

In 1977 EMI issued the first of what eventually would be four boxed sets of LPs encompassing the history of singing on record from 1899 until the end of the shellac era. The label subsequently brought out an expanded version of Volume 4 on CD, while Testament reissued Volume 3 intact, with slightly improved sound and a few items restored to proper pitch. Volumes 1 and 2 never made it to CD (officially, that is), although EMI did refurbish Volume 1 in 1982 as "A Record of Singers" together with a supplementary LP. Here is a 10-CD overview of the four volumes.

It must not have been easy for producer Tony Locantro to pare down all four volumes and retain a judicious (if not appreciably comprehensive) mix of schools, styles, and temperaments. While John Steane's booklet notes attempt to put a positive spin on the set's inclusions and omissions, collectors invariably will carp. I wonder why Locantro left out Kirsten Flagstad and Maria Callas, yet kept in two Beniamino Gigli selections. Then there are tracks that offer more historic significance than artistic pleasure (baritone Édouard de Reszke and the notorious "last castrato" Alessandro Moreschi, for example). However, musical riches dominate.

Personal favorites include Fernando de Lucia with his prodigious breath control, Marian Anderson's goose-bump-inducing low D-natural in Schubert's Death and the Maiden, Mariano Stabile's natural speech/song fusion in the Honor Monologue from Verdi's Falstaff, the Carmen Habanera with Jennie Tourel in her prime, plus Pol Plançon heading a short list of singularly elegant French basses.

In short, there's ample opportunity to discover one's own obscure treasures and to reconnect with more familiar fare. For this reason, consider "The Very Best of Volumes 1-4" the ideal gift for a devoted opera lover who is not a specialist collector. Shall we anticipate a complete, digitally reasserted Record of Singing CD edition?

Complete tracklist : The Record of Singing Volumes 1-4