78 rpm VOCAL RECORDS “FAMOUS BARITONE ” Russian Artistotipia records (1910-15 period) bore an oval area on the upper portion of the label which would present a portrait of the artist. The item below has three stars in place of the artist portrait (see illustrated labels section), who is identified on the label (in Russian) as “famous baritone”. I sent tapes in 1989 to Aida Favia-Artsay and Syd Grey for help in identification. Aida, in a letter to be included with the record, said “I know he is Giraldoni”. I didn’t think so, and she replied, “While I am convinced you have one of the most delightful rarities, you seem to be set on deprecating its intrinsic (and monetary) value. Oh well – after all it’s your record.” On the other hand, Syd Grey wrote, “It is not a mystery baritone but is confirmed as (George) Baklanov. Jim Dennis and I have done work on an Artistotipia catalogue and a friend in Kiev confirmed that it was Baklanov. He saw the files and it was stated that Baklanov was paid for the record. The reason was he had an exclusive Amour (Russian Gramophone) contract and couldn’t record for anyone else.” This letter is also included with the disc below. Who’s right ? … or it it yet some another baritone? Interestingly, Artistotipia records were usually recorded at about 70 rpm (although not mentioned on the label), presumably to make a somewhat longer playing item. 2540. 12” Artistotopia 417/418. RIGOLETTO: Cortigiani (Verdi) / BORIS GODOUNOV: Aria (Moussorgsky). 2. $60.00. UNCREDITED SOPRANO 2651. 12” White G&T Sample. Matrix 175½s. LAKMÉ: Bell Song (Delibes). In French. 25 Feb.‘07. Biophon Spezial Aufnahme für Biophon (Messters Projection GmbH, Berlin). I believe films were made to match the recordings (not necessarily of the same people who are performing). The singers appear to be notable artists active on the G&T German roster of the period, but who ? 1” crk. Heavy rubs. Greying, although quite quiet between greyed notes. Gen. 6. $15.00 UNCREDITED SOPRANO and TENOR 2652. 12” White G&T Sample. Matrix 178s. LA BOHÈME: Duett (Leoncavallo). In German. 25 Feb ‘07. “Recorded for Biophon” (see previous listing). Edge chip not to grooves. Greyed. Looks 6. $15.00. BESSIE ABOTT [s] 2524. 12” Red Vla 88129. MIREILLE: Valse (Gounod). 1-2. $8.00. 2872. 12” White lbl. Vla 88129. Same as preceding listing (#2524) but white lbl. pressing. Just about 1-2. $8.00. 2639. 12” Red ’12 Pats. Vla 89009. MARTHA: Mesta ognor (Flotow). With LOUISE HOMER [c]. Lightest (totally insignificant) rubs, cons. 2. $8.00. LUIGI ABRATE [t] 1965. 10” Maroon acous. Eng. Co.. D4952 [70638/ 70640]. BALLO IN MASCHERA: Di tu se fedele (Verdi) / GIOCONDA: Cielo e mar (Ponchielli). Just about 1-2. $15.00. ESSIE ACKLAND [c] 2822. 12” Plum PW HMV C.1702 [Cc15098-III/ Cc16641-I]. DOWN THE VALE (Moir) / PARTED (Tosti). Just about 1-2. $7.00. AÏNO ACKTÉ [s] 2032. 11” Brown Odéon 36868/36869 [XPh671/ ? ]. JE T’AIME (Grieg) / SI J’AVAIS VOS AILES! [VALSE CHANTÉE] (Messager). Just about 1-2. $300.00. AGUSTRELLO AFFRE [t] 1220. 10” Blk. Paris G&T 2-32685 [1453-F]. LES HUGUENOTS: Plus blanche (Meyerbeer). Piano acc. (Silent) inherent depressions. Very clean, cons. 2. $20.00. 1249. 10” Blk. Paris G&T 2-32969 [2288 C.S.]. FAUST: Laisse-moi contempler ton visage (Gounod). Piano acc. Beautiful copy. Few harmless pressing mks. One tiny PB, just about 1-2. $20.00. 1822. 10” Blk. Paris G&T 3-32188 [3426-F]. LE LAC (Niedermeyer). Just about 1-2. $25.00. BESSIE ABOTT 2112. 11” Red British Odéon RO575 (60478/60587)) [XP3632/XP3631]. ROMÉO ET JULIETTE: Pourquoi me la rends-tu si belle? / ROMÉO ET JULIETTE: Salut! Tombeau! (Gounod). Just about 1-2. $20.00. - 20 - 78 rpm VOCAL RECORDS 3156. 12” Blk. Paris G&T 032000 [2290 C.S.]. QUAND L’OISEAU CHANTE (Tagliafico). Some lt. rubs and few harmless LSs. Gen. 2-3. $35.00. CARMELO ALABISO [t] 3138. 10” Red & Blue Fonografia Nazionale 4603/4604. IL PICCOLO MARAT: Duetto final atto II [Va nella tua stanzetta] (Mascagni). Two sides. With MARIA LAIS [s]. Cons. 2. $20.00. 1721. 10” Maroon elec. Eng. Columbia D6013 [WB2474/WB2480]. GERMANIA: Studenti udite / GERMANIA: No, non chiuder gli occhi (Franchetti). Just about 1-2. $20.00. CARLO ALBANI [t] 2056. 11” Brown French Odéon 97293/97312 [XP ? /XP ? ]. SÉRÉNADE FRANÇAISE / PAGLIACCI: Sérénade d’Arlequin (both Leoncavallo). Minor lbl. scr. side two. Few lightest rubs, cons. 2. $15.00. 2159. 11” Brown Italian Odeon X.110107/X.110108 [Xm1548/Xm1549]. AIDA: Pur ti riveggo / AIDA: La, tra foreste vergini (Verdi). With GINA MORETTI STEFANI [s]. 1874-Milano, 1914. Wife of bass Guido Stefani, Gina made her debut in 1902 and for ten years appeared at various Italian houses as well as in Buenos Aires. A serious illness caused her retire- ment during 1912. Cons . 2. $15.00. 2196. 11” Brown Italian Odeon X.110143/X.110144 [Xm ? /Xm ? ]. IL TROVATORE: Un istante almen. With BIANCA BESALÙ [s], ARMINIO BALLISTINI [b] / IL TROVATORE: : Prima che d’altri. With EMILIA CORSI [s], ARMINIO BALLISTINI [b] . Just about 1-2. $15.00. 1723. 10” Red vinyl White lbl. RCA Vr mat. B-4890. ANDREA CHENIER: Come un bel dì di Maggio (Giordano). Just about 1-2. $12.00. 2368. 12” Lilac HMV AGSB 65 [C-4887/C-4898]. LUCREZIA BORGIA: Di pescatore ignobile (Donizetti) / ANDREA CHENIER: Un di all’ azzurro spazio (Giordano). 1907 recordings, side two unpublished otherwise except for limited PW HRS issue. Just about 1-2. $10.00. FRANCES ALDA [s]. See also: ENRICO CARUSO [t]. The group of unpublished discs below were originally from Alda’s estate and are unique. No other copies of any of these are known to exist. THE FOLLOWING ARE ALL UNPUBLISHED FRANCES ALDA SELECTIONS: 2158. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. matrix B-12065-1?. OLD BLACK JOE (Foster). Unpublished. 2. $75.00. 2088. 10” (on 11”) Victor mat. B-28102-3. AMICO FRITZ: Son pochi fiori (Mascagni). Unpublished . One wonders why this beautiful performance was never issued. 3. $200.00. 2125. 10” (on 11”) Victor mat. B-28101-3. AMICO FRITZ: Non mi resta (Mascagni). Unpublished. Some superficial marks. Gen. 3. $200.00. 2126. 10” (on 11”) Victor mat. B-27702-9. FAUST: Jewel Song (Gounod). Unpublished. Superficial marks , 3-4. $175.00. THE FOLLOWING ARE ALL UNPUBLISHED TAKES OF FRANCES ALDA RECORDINGS: 2127. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. matrix B-19893-1. FOR YOUR COUNTRY AND MY COUNTRY (Irving Berlin). Issued version was take 2. 2. $50.00. 2128. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. matrix B-20434-1. GOD SAVE THE KING (Carey). Issued version was take two. With Orpheus Quartet (Macdonough [t], Murphy [t], Werrenrath [b], Hooley [b]). Superficial mks. $50.00. 2129. 10” (on 11”) Victor elec. mat. BVE-23505-5. THE BELLS OF ST. MARY’S (Adams). Issued version was take 6. 3. $50.00. 2130. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous mat. B-23506-1. IF YOU COULD CARE (Darewski). From musical As You Were . Issued version was take 2. 3. $50.00. 2131. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. mat. B-23489-4. ROBIN ADAIR (Keppel). Never issued as an acoustical disc. 2-3. $100.00. 2091. 10” (on 11”) Victor elec. mat. BVE-29489-6. ROBIN ADAIR (Keppel). Issued version was take 8. 2. $50.00. 2132. 10” (on 11”) Victor elec. mat. BVE-29489-7. ROBIN ADAIR (Keppel). Issued version was take 8. 2. $50.00. 2133. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. mat. B-29491-4 MARTHA The Last Rose of Summer (Moore- Flotow). Never issued as an acoustical disc. Superficial rubs, few LGT s, 3-4. $75.00. 2134. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. mat. B-29491-5 MARTHA The Last Rose of Summer (Moore- Flotow). Never issued as an acoustical disc. 2. $100.00. 2135. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. mat. B-29491-6 MARTHA The Last Rose of Summer (Moore- Flotow). Never issued as an acoustical disc. One heavy (harmless) narrow rub, otherwise 2-3. $85.00. 2090. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. mat. B-30270-2. WHAT’LL I DO? (Berlin). Issued version was take 1. 2. $50.00. 2089. 10” (on 11”) Victor acous. mat. B-30273-3. LOVE HAS A WAY (Schertzinger). Issued version was take 1. 2. $50.00 2136. 10” (on 11”) Victor elec. mat. BVE-32816-2. LA CENA DELLE BEFFE: Sempre così (Gior- dano). Issued version was take 6. Small harmless scr. near end . 3-4 but no apparent greying. $100.00. - 21 - 78 rpm VOCAL RECORDS 2092. 10” (on 11”) Victor elec. mat. BVE-35483-2. EVER OF THEE I’M FONDLY DREAMING (Hall). Issued version was take 3. Faint hair crk. barely visible (about 1”) blank side and absolutely silent. Some rubs, 2-3. $30.00. 2093. 10” (on 11”) Victor elec. mat. BVE-43176-2. A MAORI SLUMBER SONG (Pai). Piano acc. Frank LaForge. Issued version was take 1. Gen. 3. $50.00. 1783. 10” Red Pats. Vla. 87096. ROMANCE (Bourget-Debussy). “A” plate. Few lt. mks., cons . 2. $12.00. 1929. 10” Red ’12 Pats. Vla 87106. MANON LESCAUT: In quelle trine morbide (Puccini). Cons . 2. $8.00. 1722. 10” White lbl. Vla 87118. MURMURING BREEZES, Op. 12, No. 4 (Jensen). Piano acc. André Benoist. Just about 1-2. $12.00. 1569. 10” Red Orth. Vla 1474. MANON LESCAUT: In quelle trine morbide / MANON LESCAUT: L’ora, o tirsi (Puccini). Just about 1-2. $8.00. 2841. 12” Red ’08 Pats Vla 88213.