Luigi Bolis, tenor
Bizet – Carmen (abridged)
Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
sung in Italian
1. Prelude
2. Chorus of Cigarette Girls – Suono la campana
3. Habanera – E l’amore
4. Duet – Ah, mi parla di lei
5. Duet – Mio vegga ancor
6. Seguidilla – Presso il bastion di Siviglia
7. Duet – Carmen quest’ ufficiale
8. Bohemian Song – All’ udir
9. Bohemian Song – Or ben Pastia desia
10. Toreador Song – Part 1 (Con voi ber)
11. Toreador Song – Part 2
12. Quintette – Part 1 – Noi s’lia in vista un bell’ affar
13. Quintette – Part 2 – Certo la cosa
14. Duet – Alfin sei qui
15. Duet – Al quartier
16. Flower Song – Il fior
17. Duet – No, tu non m’ami
18. Duet and Finale (Part 1) – No, piu non ti voglio
19. Finale, Act 2 (Part 2) – Dubbio non c’e
20. Trio – Part 1 – Io ci veda
21. Trio – Part 2 – Invan par evitar
22. Ensemble – E nostr’ affar il doganier
23. Aria – Io dico
24. Recit & Duet Part 1 – Ma non m’inganno
25. Duet Part 2 – Per amante ell’ avveva
26. Finale Act 3, Part 1 – Ola! Jose
27. Finale Act 3, Part 2 – Ah! bada a te
28. Finale Act 3, Part 3 – Ah! paventa
29. Duet – Se tu m’ami
30. Duet – Sei tu?
31. Finale Act 4, Part 1 – Piu non m’ama il tuo cor?
32. Finale Act 4, Part 2 – No davver
Fanny Anitua, mezzo-soprano – Carmen
Luigi Bolis, tenor – Don José
Ines Maria Ferraris, soprano – Micaëla
Cesare Formichi, baritone – Escamillo
Lina Garavaglia, soprano – Mercédès
Rosa Garavaglia, soprano – Frasquita
Enrico Spada, bass – Zuniga
Luigi Baldassare, bass – Il Dancairo/Moralès
Carlo Paltrinieri, tenor – Il Remendado
La Scala Chorus
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 1 – 01 – Overture
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 1 – 02 – Suono la campana
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 1 – 03 – E l’amore (Habanera)
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 1 – 04 – Ah, mi parla di lei
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 1 – 05 – Recit (Micaela, José)
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 1 – 06 – Interlude
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 1 – 07 – Presso il bastion di Siviglia (Seguidilla)
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 1 – 08 – Carmen quest’ufficiale
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 01 – All’udir (Bohemian song)
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 02 – Or ben Pastia desia
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 03 – Hola! Hola! La torero!
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 04 – Con voi ber (Toreador Song)
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 05 – Noi s’lia in vista un bell’affar (Quintet)
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 06 – Recit
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 07 – Dragon d’Alcala
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 08 – Alfin sei qui
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 09 – Tra la la la
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 10 – Al quartier
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 11 – Carmen io… Il fior (Flower Song)
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 12 – Non, tu non m’ami
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 2 – 13 – Hola! Carmen!
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 3 – 01 – Io ci veda
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 3 – 02 – Andiam… Invan par evitar
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 3 – 03 – Ebben!
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 3 – 04 – E nostr’ affar il doganier
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 3 – 05 – Qui de contrabandier… Io dico
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 3 – 06 – Ma non m’inganno
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 3 – 07 – Mio nome e Escamillo
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 3 – 08 – Ola! Ola! Jose!
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 4 – 01 – Se tu m’ami
Bizet – Carmen – 1920 Columbia – Act 4 – 02 – Sei tu? Son io!
Columbia D 5582-97
Matrices 42436, 42381, 42384, 42427, 42398, 42416, 42431, 42412, 42411, 42382, 42383, 42395, 42396, 42413, 42414, 42415, 42420, 42429, 42430, 42406, 42388, 42424, 42426, 42392, 42397, 42389, 42434, 42421, 42385, 42432, 42435, 42433
Recorded 1920
Play at 82.6rpm (1, 19, 31-2), 78rpm (2-5, 7, 10-14, 16-18, 21, 24), 81.6rpm (6, 8, 9, 15, 22-3, 28, 30), 79.6rpm (20, 25-6), 83.4rpm (27), 80.9rpm (29)
Sides in order of matrix number:
2, 10, 11, 3, 29, 21, 26, 24, 12, 13, 25, 5, 20, 9, 8, 14, 15, 16, 6, 17, 28, 22, 23, 4, 18, 19, 7, 30, 32, 27, 31, 1
This recording, though of course publicised as the complete opera, is heavily cut, with substantial omissions at the start of Acts 1 and 4, among others. It’s still an interesting performance, though Luigi Bolis (Don José) tends to pronounce Carmen so that it sounds like Carmeng!
The first record in my copy of this set is broken, and I’ve done my best to repair the sound.