All posts in category Opera

Dobrindt conducts Strauss

To see in 2024 in the customary Viennese style, I’ve transferred an LP of music by Johann Strauss II: waltzes, polkas and a Die Fledermaus pot-pourri. Otto Dobrindt (1886-1963) recorded for both 78s and LPs, but his name is generally forgotten. In the UK several of his recordings were issued on various labels from the […]

Albert Coates’s birthday

This year’s celebration of the anniversary of Albert Coates’s birth brings more Wagner, and some familiar Stravinsky. When the Gramophone company was recording its sets of excerpts from the Ring of the Nibelung (in English) in 1922 and 1923, Tudor Davies was the singer for Siegmund. He initially made 2 takes of Siegmund’s “Spring song”, […]

Albert Coates’s 140th birthday

As it’s the anniversary of Albert Coates’s birthday, I present my customary update. This year it’s Coates in his familiar Wagner, but a recording that has been elusive on reissues. Coates recorded Siegfried’s Rhine Journey from Götterdämmerung twice. On 25th January 1926 Coates conducted a substantial Wagner recording session at the Queen’s Hall with an […]

Die Fledermaus (excerpts)

This year I’ve transferred an LP of excerpts from Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, to welcome in the new year in traditional Viennese Style. Walter Goehr recorded prolifically, but is not well known. In the 1930s and 40s he recorded widely for EMI, particularly conducting orchestral accompaniments for singers, choruses and soloists. He also conducted […]

Albert Coates’s birthday

Albert Coates’s birthday This year for the anniversary of Albert Coates’s birth I’ve selected several discs conducted by Coates (and a couple of related items not conducted by Coates.) To begin with, two of Coates’s less familiar recordings. In 1932 Coates two movements from Handel organ concertos, played by Herbert Dawson on the organ of […]

Albert Coates and “The Rhinegold”

The anniversary of Albert Coates’s birth rolls round again. This year I’ve opted to transfer a disc from HMV’s acoustic Ring cycle excerpts in English of the early 1920s. “The Rhinegold” was rather short-changed in the set, meriting just one record, featuring scenes with Alberich. (HMV did also have a 1920 recording in the catalogue […]

Louise Kirkby-Lunn

Rather than the usual Viennese fare to welcome 2018, I’ve opted instead by some early Pathé sides by the great English contralto Louise Kirkby-Lunn. They’re from 28cm diameter, centre-start, etched label double-sided issues. All are piano accompanied. There is a spoken introduction to the first side, presumably Madam Kirkby-Lunn herself. The second record has Kirkby-Lunn […]

Albert Coates day

April 23rd is the anniversary of the birth of the wonderful Albert Coates. To celebrate, I’ve transferred a pair of his Wagner recordings. Wagner – Lohengrin – Act 3 Prelude – Symphony Orchestra, Albert Coates HMV D 1054 Matrix Cc 7083-II (4-0751) Recorded 27th October 1925, Studio B, Hayes Wagner – Tannhäuser – March – […]

Frank Titterton sings Lehár

To end the Viennese theme for New Year, the two famous tenor arias from Lehár’s The Land of Smiles, sterlingly sung in English by Frank Titterton. My copy of this 1930s DECCA record is very worn (especially “You are my heart’s delight” which was clearly much played) and though I’ve done my best to improve […]

Barbirolli conducts Hansel and Gretel overture c1928

Merry Christmas. I’ve done a quick transfer of the traditionally festive fare of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel overture, in an early orchestral recording from John Barbirolli for Edison Bell’s Electron label. Humperdinck – Hänsel & Gretel – Overture – John Barbirolli and his Symphony Orchestra (mp3 file – click to play, or right click the […]

400 years

Although I have had not had a great deal of time to work on recordings for this site recently, I could not let the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death pass unmarked. There are several spoken word Shakespeare recordings to be found on site and music based on his works (just enter Shakespeare in the search […]

Coates and Shakespeare

April 23rd is Shakespeare day, and also the birthday of the great Albert Coates. Firstly, two songs by Peter Warlock, the first to a Shakespeare test, sung by Parry Jones. Warlock – Take, o take those lips away (Shakespeare) Warlock – There is a lady sweet and kind (Thomas Ford) Parry Jones, tenor with piano […]

Good Friday Music

As a quick Easter update, the Good Friday Music from Parsifal seemed apposite, here with Hermann Jadlowker and Paul Knüpfer. Wagner – Parsifal – Charfreitagszauber Orchestra, Bruno Seidler-Winkler Hermann Jadlowker, tenor Paul Knüpfer, bass Wagner – Parsifal – Good Friday – Jadlowker, Knüpfer (mp3 file – click to play, or right click the link, then […]

Waltzing in the New Year – Krips, Scotney and Bertin

Following the Christmas festivities, I like to ring in the new year with the Strausses. To that end, here are three of his most famous waltzes, one in purely orchestral form, one in both orchestral and vocal versions, and another only in its vocal form. The two singers had their Strauss waltzes backed by the […]

Lorenzo Molajoli orchestrals, and opera in America

Over the past year or so I’ve produced several CD reissues for CRQ Editions. One of these was devoted to orchestral recordings conducted by Lorenzo Molajoli. The following set arrived too late for inclusion on the Molajoli CD. Verdi – Nabucco – Overture Bizet – Carmen – Prelude Act 1 Milan Symphony Orchestra, Lorenzo Molajoli […]

Luisa Tetrazzini and Percy Pitt

Over the past year or so I’ve produced several CD reissues for CRQ Editions. These included 3 CDs of Percy Pitt’s Columbia recordings, followed by a 2CD set of his HMV recordings with singers. In compiling the last I listened to and did initial restoration on many more records than the set could accommodate, and […]

Strauss (and Ivanovici) for the New Year

As ever I like to ring in the New Year with a nod in the direction of a Viennese New Year’s Day Concert. France’s Garde Républicaine returns with two pieces with a Danube theme. Iosif Ivanovici – Flots du Danube (Valse) Johann Strauss II – Le Beau Danube Bleu Garde Républicaine Ivanovici – Flots du […]

A festive feast of Wagner and Verdi

To round off the Wagner and Verdi bicentenary year, I’ve gathered a varied selection of music by these two operatic greats, in various guises. Dajos Béla recorded extensively in many genres. The following abridged version of the Tannhäuser Overture is one of his more straightforwardly classical recordings, though the scoring is adapted for his band […]

Malcolm Sargent conducts the Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (1947)

Britten – Peter Grimes – Four Sea Interludes Op.33A No.1 – Dawn No.2 – Sunday Morning No.3 – Moonlight No.4 – Storm London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent Britten – Peter Grimes – Sea Interlude 1. Dawn – LSO, Sargent Britten – Peter Grimes – Sea Interlude 2. Sunday Morning – LSO, Sargent Britten – […]

George W Byng conducts the Ballet Music from Gounod’s Faust

I received an email recently asking if I knew where George W Byng’s recording of the Ballet Music from Gounod’s Faust might be found. Some six years ago, before I had this website I did a transfer of the recording, so the time seemed apt to revisit it for a new transfer. Listening again, I […]