The Record of Singing is a compilation of classical-music singing from the first half of the 20th century, the era of the 78-rpm record.
It was issued on LP (with accompanying books) by EMI, successor to the Gramophone Company — perhaps the leading organization in the early history of audio recording.
The project was accompanied initially by two illustrated books, containing singers' biographies and appraisals, which were published in London, by Duckworth, in the late 1970s. It covers the period running from circa 1900, when the earliest recordings were made, through until the early 1950s, when the last 78-rpm records were produced. Singers are divided into groups arranged according to national 'schools' and fach or voice type. In practice, this means that there are separate Italian, German, French, Anglo-American and East European classifications.
Nonetheless, no such compilation can ever be exhaustive, and the project has sometimes been criticised for the omission of important performers who once enjoyed substantial careers and made notable contributions to the art of singing.
Origins
The original idea for the series came from the collector Vivian Liff, who chose the recordings used in the first two volumes, almost all of which came from the Stuart-Liff Collection, as well as the photographs of the singers which were published in the books that accompanied volumes 1 and 2 of the project. Michael Scott was asked to write these two books. They contained brief singers' biographies, too and featured a critical (sometimes controversial) commentary (see below) about their accomplishments, as gleaned from certain discs they had made. Bryan Crimp of EMI was responsible for the transfers of the original recorded material to LP. Keith Hardwick, however, was responsible for the transfers, etc., on the final two volumes of the survey (which were not accompanied by books).
Publication on LPs
EMI first released the collection on vinyl LP (long-playing) records.
Volume 1 first appeared in 1977, with a second edition in 1982 including corrections to the pitch of many of the recordings. The supplement also appeared around 1982. Volume 2 was published in 1979. Volume 3 and Volume 4 were released around 1984 and 1989 respectively.
The complete set was on 47 discs. Volumes 1, 2 and 3 each occupied 13, with Volume 4 having 8 discs. The original intention was apparently to produce 12 LPs per volume; but the selection of singers included in Volume 1 proved controversial, and an extra record (entitled a 'Supplement') was added to partly correct oversights. Volumes 2 and 3 were then assigned 13 records each.
Compact discs
Volume 4 was republished on seven compact discs (CD) by EMI Classics under the title The Record of Singing Volume Four in 1991. This was not apparently a commercial success and the firm did not proceed to reissue the first three volumes in the same format.
Volume 3, however, was subsequently republished in 1999 on 10 CDs by Testament under the title The EMI Record of Singing Volume Three: 1926–1939. This was still available through retail outlets (as of 2010).
Two related sets, each containing 10 CDs, were issued by EMI Classics in 2009. The Record of Singing, 1899–1952: The Very Best of Vols. 1–4 consists of selections previously released in the original four volumes of LPs. The Record of Singing, Vol. 5: 1953–2007 – From the LP to the Digital Era is a new compilation which brings the series up to the present day. It has been criticised, however, for not being properly representative of non-EMI artists.
MP3 download
Volume 2 is available as MP3 download on several internet platforms. The original LPs are now spread over 13 parts. Each part comes with an individual cover, resembling the original cover picture, but varying in color.
Documentation
The collection was published with extensive documentation, including the numbers of the original recordings and full biographies of the singers.
The first two volumes were accompanied by books by Michael Scott:
The Record of Singing to 1914, London, Duckworth, 1977, The Record of Singing Volume Two: 1914–1925, London, Duckworth, 1979,
They were republished in paperback by Northeastern University Press in 1993,
(The books are still widely available from second hand book sellers.)
The Record of Singing Volume 1 (1899–1919)
The Castrato Voice: Alessandro Moreschi The Old School: Adelina Patti, Emma Albani, Marcella Sembrich Melba and the Marchesi Pupils: Nellie Melba, Sigrid Arnoldson, Emma Eames, Lillian Blauvelt, Suzanne Adams, Ellen Beach Yaw, Blanche Marchesi
English-speaking singers
Dramatic sopranos: Agnes Nicholls, Lillian Nordica, Olive Fremstad, Susan Strong, Zélie de Lussan Lyric sopranos: Geraldine Farrar Contraltos: Louise Homer, Louise Kirkby Lunn, Clara Butt Tenors: Edward Lloyd, Ben Davies, Dan Beddoe, Evan Williams Baritones and basses: Charles Santley, George Henschel, Harry Plunket Greene, Robert Watkin-Mills, Andrew Black, David Bispham, Emilio de Gogorza, Clarence Whitehill
The French
Tenors: Émile Scaremberg, Charles Dalmorès, Lucien Muratore, Charles Rousselière Lyric tenors: Victor Capoul, Edmond Clément, Adolphe Maréchal, Albert Vaguet High Cs and Heroic Voices: Léon Escalais, Agustarello Affré, Georges Imbart de la Tour, Albert Alvarez Baritones: Jean Lasalle, Victor Maurel, Maurice Renaud, Henri Albers, Jean Noté, Léon Melchissédec, Lucien Fugère, Gabriel Soulacroix, Jean Périer, Charles Gilibert Basses: Pol Plançon, Édouard de Reszke, Pedro Gailhard, Jean-François Delmas, Juste Nivette, Hippolyte Belhomme Dramatic Sopranos: Emma Calvé, Félia Litvinne, Aino Ackté, Mary Garden Lyric sopranos: Julia Guiraudon, Marguerite Carré, Lucette Korsoff, Lise Landouzy, Alice Verlet, Blanche Arral Contraltos: Blanche Deschamps-Jéhin, Marie Delna, Jeanne Gerville-Réache
The Emergence of Verismo
'La Gloria d'Italia': Mattia Battistini, Antonio Cotogni, Giuseppe Kaschmann, Francisco D'Andrade, Antonio Magini-Coletti, Giuseppe Pacini, Mario Ancona Scotti, de Luca and Pini-Corsi: Antonio Scotti, Giuseppe De Luca, Antonio Pini-Corsi Verismo triumphant: Eugenio Giraldoni, Mario Sammarco, Pasquale Amato, Titta Ruffo The basso: Francesco Navarini, Giovanni Gravina, Andres de Segurola, Adamo Didur Tradition and the Italian tenor: Francesco Marconi, Fernando Valero, Fernando De Lucia, Francesco Vignas, Florencio Constantino Lyric tenors: Alessandro Bonci, Giuseppe Anselmi, Aristodemo Giorgini, Edoardo Garbin Dramatic tenors: Francesco Tamagno, Giovanni de Negri, Giuseppe Borgatti, Fiorello Giraud, Amadeo Bassi, Giovanni Zenatello, Antonio Paoli, Enrico Caruso Sopranos 'B.C.': Ines de Frate, Elena Teodorini, Fanny Torresella, Medea Mei-Figner, Olimpia Boronat, Ada Adini After Cavalleria: Gemma Bellincioni, Angelica Pandolfini, Emma Carelli, Cesira Ferrani, Lina Cavalieri, Rosina Storchio, Solomiya Krushelnytska, Teresa Arkel, Amelia Pinto, Janina Korolewicz-Wayda Four dramatic sopranos: Maria de Macchi, Eugenia Burzio, Giannina Russ, Celestina Boninsegna Tetrazzini and some 'coloraturas': Luisa Tetrazzini, Regina Pacini, Josefina Huguet, Maria Galvany Italian contraltos: Guerrina Fabbri, Eugenia Mantelli, Armida Parsi-Pettinella, Maria Gay
Wagner and the German Style
The instrumental example: Irene Abendroth, Margarethe Siems, Erika Wedekind, Hermine Bosetti, Marie Gutheil-Schoder, Hedwig Francillo-Kaufmann, Gertrude Förstel, Frieda Hempel, Selma Kurz Lilli Lehmann: Lilli Lehmann Sopranos of the Bayreuth school: Sophie Sedlmair, Pelagie Greef-Andriessen, Hatharina Senger-Bettaque, Ellen Gulbranson, Thila Plaichinger, Anna Bahr-Mildenburg, Katharine Fleischer-Edel, Felice Kaschowska, Lucie Weidt Gadski and Destinn: Johanna Gadski, Emmy Destinn Contraltos: Marianne Brandt, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Rosa Olitzka, Edyth Walker, Margarete Matzenauer Heldentenors: Hermann Winkelmann, Erik Schmedes, Ernest van Dyck, Andreas Dippel, Heinrich Knote, Karel Burian, Alfred von Bary, Wilhelm Herold, Jacques Urlus, Leo Slezak, Karl Jörn, Lieder singers: Gustav Walter, Felix Senius Baritones and basses: Karl Scheidemantel, Baptist Hoffmann, Anton van Rooy, Theodor Bertram, Leon Rains, Leopold Demuth, Wilhelm Hesch
Singers of Imperial Russia
Sopranos and contraltos: Natalia Yuzhina, Antonina Nezhdanova, Marie Michailova, Alma Fohrström, Nina Friede, Eugenia Zbujeva, Anastasia Vialtzeva Tenors, baritones and basses: Nikolay Figner, Ivan Erschov, Leonid Sobinov, Andrei Labinsky, Alexander Davidov, Ivan Altchevsky, Tadeusz Leliva, Joachim Tartakov, Nicholai Shevelev, Waclav Brzezinski, Lev Sibiriakov, Vladimir Kastorsky, Feodor Chaliapin
Supplement
Félia Litvinne, Georgette Bréjean-Silver, Léon Lafitte, Méyriane Héglon, Gemma Bellincioni, Elisa Bruno, Alice Cucini, Mario Gilion, Francesco Maria Bonini, Giuseppe De Luca, Enrico Nani, Vittorio Arimondi, Oreste Luppi, Nazzareno De Angelis, Elise Elizza, Marie Dietrich, Minnie Nast, Marie Götze, Wilhelm Grüning, John Forsell
The Record of Singing Volume 2 (1914–1925)
Revolution and Russian Songs
Chaliapin: Feodor Chaliapin (1873–1938), George Baklanov (1880–1938), Alexander Bragin (1881–1955), Ivan Grizounov (1897–1919), Ivan Ivantzov (c.1880–?) Smirnov: Dimitri Smirnov (1881–1944) Kouznetsova to Koshetz: Maria Nikolaevna Kouznetsova (1880–1966), Marianne Tcherkasskaya (1884–1919), Nina Koshetz (1891–1965) Two 'Coloraturas': Lydia Lipkowska (1882–1958), Eugenia Bronskaya (1882–1953) Contraltos: Elisaveta Petrenko (1880–1951), Vera Petrova-Zvanceva (1875–1944), Klavdia Tugarinova (1877–?)
The French Tradition in Decline
Franz, Ansseau and Fontaine: Paul Franz (1876–1950), Fernand Ansseau (1890–1972), Charles Fontaine (1878–1955) A Quintet of Lyric Tenors: David Devriès (1881–1936), Fernand Francell (1880–1966), Charles Friant (1890–1947), Louis Cazette (1887–1922), René Lapelletrie (1884–1956) Baritones of the Opéra: Dinh Gilly (1877–1940), Louis Lestelly (1877–1936) Journet and the Basses: Marcel Journet (1867–1933), Hector Dufranne (1870–1951), Paul Payan (1878–1959) Singing Actors: Vanni Marcoux (1877–1962), Jean Aquistapace (1888–1952), Alfred Maguenat (c. 1880–?), Armand Crabbé (1883–1947) Contraltos: Suzanne Brohly (1882–1943), Marie Charbonnel (1880–1969), Jacqueline Royer (1884–?) Five International Sopranos: Marie-Louise Edvina (1880–1948), Marthe Chenal (1881–1947), Geneviève Vix (1879–1939), Yvonne Gall (1885–1972), Fanny Heldy (1888–1973) Lyric Sopranos at the Opéra-Comique: Marguerite Mérentié (1880–?), Aline Vallandri (1878–1952), Zina Brozia (1876–1958) A Trio of Concert Singers: Gabrielle Ritter-Ciampi (1886–1974), Berthe Auguez de Montalant (1865–1937), Georgette Leblanc-Maeterlinck (1860–1941)
The Heyday of Verismo
The Duse of Song: Claudia Muzio (1889–1936) Raisa and some Dramatic Sopranos: Rosa Raisa (1892–1963), Elena Ruszkowska (1878–1948), Maria Labia (1880–1953), Adelina Agostinelli (1880–1954), Ester Mazzoleni (1883–1982) Verismo Sopranos: Tina Poli-Randaccio (1879–1956), Carmen Melis (1885–1967), Juanita Caracciolo (1890–1924), Gilda Dalla Rizza (1892–1975)
Galli-Curci and the 'Coloraturas': Amelita Galli-Curci (1882–1963), Maria Barrientos (1884-1946), Graziella Pareto (1889–1975), Elvira de Hidalgo (1892–1980), Lucrezia Bori (1887–1960) Italian Contraltos: Gabriella Besanzoni (1888–1962), Fanny Anitùa (1887–1968), Luisa Bertana (1898–1933) Lyric Tenors: Tito Schipa (1889–1965), Fernando Carpi (1876–1959), Tradition and the Italian Tenor: Beniamino Gigli (1890–1957), Hipólito Lázaro (1887–1974), Miguel Fleta (1893–1938), Giulio Crimi (1885–1939), Ulysses Lappas (1881–1971) Four Dramatic Tenors: Bernardo de Muro (1881–1955), Edoardo Ferrari-Fontana (1878–1936), Icilio Calleja (1882–1941), Giovanni Martinelli (1885–1969) Principal Baritones: Giuseppe De Luca (1870–1950), Riccardo Stracciari (1875–1955), Domenico Viglione-Borchese (1877–1957), Renato Zanelli (1892–1935), Emilio Sagi-Barba (1875–1949) Mardones: José Mardones (1868–1932)