1931 Boito MEFISTOFELE PROLOGUE Nazzareno de ANGELIS Lorenzo Molajoli COLUMBIA

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A series of great OPERA Records from early G&Ts to World War II recordings on 78 rpm Victrola RecordsClick this link for more great Opera and Vocal Records in my other listings!Click this link for more great Vinyl and Test Pressings by IRCC, RCA Heritage, Historic Masters Boito MEFISTOFILE: PROLOGUE in HeavenNazzareno de ANGELIS as Mefistofele Lorenzo Molajoli conducting the Milan Symphony Orchestra (Members of La Scala)The Prologo was issued by Columbia as a separate set on 3x12" recordsMade at the end of 1931 in Milan, this recording of Boito's Mefistofele was the first complete commercial recording and the only one to appear during the 78rpm era. Its cast included some of the finest singers then appearing at La Scala, under the baton of the renowned Lorenzo Molajoli. Molajoli was Italian Columbia's house conductor who made twenty complete or abridged opera recordings for the company. The protagonist in the title r(le, Nazzareno de Angelis, was particularly admired for his portrayal of Mefistofole, a part he sang over five hundred times between 1906 and 1938. Not only was he considered one of the leading Italian basses of his generation but he possessed considerable stage presence. Complete Prologue in Heaven 3x12" Columbia VIVA TONAL 78 rpm records in generic albumCondition: Excellent close to Pristine faint scuffs , plays EXCEPTIONALLY QUIET - noiselessA CHOICE COPYArrigo BOITO (1842-1918) Mefistofele When the introduction of electrical recording in Europe began in the latter half of 1925 the Columbia Graphophone Company started a big push to make new recordings with this system. They began recording in Italy in March 1926 with the new Westrex electrical system and adopted the prefixes WBX for 12-inch and WB for 10-inch matrices. Virtually all of the early recordings were devoted to singers then appearing in Milan, principally at the cityÆs world famous opera house, the Teatro alla Scala. However, by the latter part of 1928 the British-owned company felt confident to undertake the recording of complete operas. The first three were VerdiÆs La Traviata, Aida and PucciniÆs La BohFme, all made during November of that year. The initial artistic and commercial success of this enterprise was such that it was decided to continue the series of popular operas over the coming years. The world economic situation following the Wall Street crash in 1929, however, brought about a dramatic downturn in the fortunes of the recording industry. One result of this was the amalgamation of both the Columbia and Gramophone companies in April 1931 to form Electric and Musical Industries, now known as EMI Recorded Music. Naturally existing commitments had to be honoured, either by making the agreed recordings or by paying off the artists from their contracts. Happily the demand for Italian opera remained relatively buoyant, so that the Italian branch of Columbia recorded PucciniÆs Manon Lescaut, GiordanoÆs Fedora (in abbreviated form), PonchielliÆs La Gioconda and BoitoÆs Mefistofele during 1931. Then, during 1932, VerdiÆs Falstaff and BizetÆs Carmen would be made. After this the series came to an end. Mefistofele had been performed at La Scala during the 1923-24, 1924-25 and 1927-28 seasons on eight occasions each year but did not re-appear until 1934-35. The opera was presented fairly regularly, however, in other Italian opera houses, so the work was in no way unfamiliar. Nevertheless to record such an opera, especially the very dramatic Prologue must have presented great problems from the technical point of view. The venue regularly used by Columbia was situated in Via San Antonio. An internal EMI report, dated November 1931, stated ôthe room has proved far from satisfactory as it is too small, and the acoustics are badö. Its use was discontinued after March 1932. The protagonist in the title r(le was the bass Nazzareno de Angelis, who was born in Rome in 1881 and died there in 1962. As a boy he had sung in the Choir of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. His dTbut took place in 1903 and his career continued until 1939 when he retired. He was one of the most distinguished Italian basses of his era and was particularly admired for his portrayal of Mefistofele, a r(le he sang over five hundred times between 1906 and 1938. He had a repertoire of 57 r(les and made over 1500 appearances. Other than singing in Chicago during the years 1910-11 and 1915-20, de AngelisÆs career was based in Europe. He was also admired as RossiniÆs MosF and in the principal Verdi and Wagner r(les. His recording of Mefistofele was his sole complete recording, although he recorded a considerable number of arias for both Fonotipia and Columbia. Antonio Melandri (1891-?) was born in Bologna and first studied oboe at the cityÆs conservatorio. Discovering his voice in his late twenties, he made his dTbut in Novara in 1924. MelandriÆs Scala dTbut was as Calaf in PucciniÆs Turandot in 1926 and the following year he sang in Buenos Aires. In addition to appearances in Holland in 1937-38, Melandri also sang in Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland and throughout Italy. His other recordings included Cavalleria Rusticana and abridged versions of Ernani and Fedora. The soprano Mafalda Favero (1903-1981) studied in Bologna and made her dTbut at Cremona in 1926 under the name of Maria Bianchi. Her second dTbut using the name Favero was as Li· in Turandot in Parma the following year. Success was swift so that she appeared at La Scala in 1928, remaining there until 1943 and returning once again during the years 1946-50. Favero sang the r(les of Li·, Norina in Don Pasquale and Zerlina in Don Giovanni at Covent Garden in the 1937 and 1939 seasons. Her American dTbut was in 1938 in San Francisco, with two performances of Mim8 in La BohFme at the Metropolitan in New York. Considered an attractive singer with a vibrant and appealing style, Favero was greatly admired as Manon, Thans, Adriana Lecouvreur and Zaza. She also took part in the premiFres of Il Campiello (1936) and La dama boba (1939), both by Wolf-Ferrari. Giannina Arangi-Lombardi (1891-1951) studied in her native Naples before first appearing as a mezzo-soprano. The singerÆs first appearance as a soprano took place at La Scala in 1924 where she would perform regularly until 1930. Her r(les there included Santuzza, Aida, La Gioconda, Leonora in Il Trovatore and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, the last also sung at the Salzburg Festival in 1935. Her sole American season was in Buenos Aires in 1926. Although Arangi-Lombardi possessed a large and beautiful voice, it was thought that she lacked dramatic fire in her singing. After retiring she taught first in Milan (1938-47) and then in Ankara until shortly before her death. Giuseppe Nessi (1889-1961) studied at the Bergamo Conservatorio before making his dTbut at Saluzzo in 1910. After a short career as a lyric tenor, he began to specialise in comprimario r(les and became one of the leading Italian exponents of his generation. Nessi sang at La Scala from 1921 for 38 years, creating there the r(le of Pong in Turandot in 1926 and Gobrias in BoitoÆs Nerone. He appeared at Covent Garden in the 1927-29, 1931 and 1937 seasons, returning with La Scala Company in 1950. NessiÆs farewell performance was as Pinellio in Gianni Schicchi in 1959 in his seventieth year. He was a fine actor with considerable stage personality. Emilio Venturini (1878-1952) was another lyric tenor who changed to comprimario parts after his dTbut in 1900. After appearances in Paris (1905), Covent Garden (1907), and Chicago (1910-17) he joined La Scala in 1921, remaining until 1948. Like Giuseppe Nessi he was also a fine actor with a keen knowledge of singing and singers. The facts surrounding the career of the conductor Lorenzo Molajoli are obscure. He was born in Rome in 1868 and studied there at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia. His career began in 1891 and it would appear that much of his career prior to the First World War was spent in both North and South America, South Africa and various provincial Italian opera houses. Claims have been made that Molajoli conducted at La Scala in the inter-war years but there is no published documentation to substantiate this assumption. What can be established is that he served with considerable distinction as the house conductor in Milan for Columbia, accompanying a large number of singers in addition to making recordings of a number of operatic overtures. Molajoli conducted twenty complete or abridged operas for Columbia between 1928 and 1932. He died in Milan on 4th April 1939. More Great Records on sale right now: CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE MORE GREAT RECORDS CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE ALL ITEMS - VINTAGE BOOKS, VICTROLA and TURNTABLE ITEMS, CDs, Books and DVDs http://shop.ebay.com/carsten_sf/m.html ==== A Quick NOTE ON GRADING AND SHIPPING: As you can see from my feedback, I try hard to earn your POSITIVE FEEDBACK and FIVE STAR RATINGS. If for any reason your transaction was NOT SATISFACTORY, pls contact me and I will work something out with you. YOU WILL NEVER HAVE A REASON TO GIVE ME A NEGATIVE RATING or a LOW STAR RATING. 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Price: 29.99 USD

Location: San Francisco, California

End Time: 2024-11-10T19:51:24.000Z

Shipping Cost: 10.74 USD

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Artist: CLICK RIGHT ARROW > FOR CONDITION, Nazzareno de ANGELIS, Nazareno de ANGELIS, Lorenzo Molajoli

Genre: Classical, Opera

Record Label: Columbia

Record Size: 12"

Release Title: MEFISTOFELE PROLOGUE

Speed: 78 RPM

Catalog Number: 50195-D, 50195, 50196-D, 50196, 50197-D, 50197

Style: Aria, Ars Nova, Cantata, Canzona, Chorale, Elegy, Film Score/Soundtrack, Lied, Lullaby, Madrigal, Mass, Motet, Musical/Original Cast, Oratorio, Vocal, A Capella, Ballad, Barcarolle, Canon, Duet, Eastern European Music, France & Belgium, French Music & Chansons, Germany & Austria, German music, Italian Music, Requiem, Russian Music, Spanish Music, Traditional & Vocal

Format: Record

Material: Shellac

Language: Italian