Giacomo Puccini: "La Boheme"
Rodolpho................. Beniamino Gigli (Tenor)
Marcello................. Afro Poli (Baritone)
Schaunard................. Aristide Baracchi (Baritone)
Colline................. Duilio Baronti (Bass)
Mimi................. Licia Albanese (Soprano)
Musetta................. Tatiana Menotti (Soprano)
Benoit / Alcindoro.............. Carlo Scattola (Bass)
Parpignol................. Nello Palai (Tenor)
Chorus & Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala, Milan conducted by Umberto Berrettoni 4 files 16/44 zip FLAC MediaFire Download
EMI Music for Pleasure MFP 2076/7. 1967 LP's/matrices: 2XBA117-120 -1 (QALP 10777/78 -1955 HMV Italiana transfer) from HMV DB3448-3460. Recorded: February (March) 1938.
MFP 2076 cover / Sleeve-notes / Labels >>>
Excellent transfer, no actually EXCELLENT! Just my cup of tea, seems like minimal filtering so the overtones that are there for a 1938 era recording come out beautifully & you can hear the recording venue ambience too (I presume La Scala itself, although I’ve never been & in any case it’s been rebuilt since the many tragedies of WW2!). Thanks so much for this…& all your transfers generally. I get so excited when I see there’s a new post, even if I already have a version I do try to hear yours for the honesty of the transfer. Cheers to you (sorry I’m commenting anonymously, can’t seem to log in??) NikZ
ReplyDeleteThese older transfers also tended to be Honest (before they could be re-imagined [or plain Vandalised] via Computer Technology).
DeleteHave a few isolated discs from the 78 set - but only a few complete sets apart from Wagner... (Ballo in Maschera [I think] / Rosenkavelier).
Wish I'd the Schnabel/Beethoven Sonatas on early '60's COLH (Paris transfers) as my one LP sounds more like a Piano than Hardwick's c.1980 effort/s (have 4x RLS sets + virtually all the 78 albums).
I scanned the HMV Treasury Claudia Muzio 1934/5 (bought in '84) for an intended upload - but they're Hardwick transfers + altered prior tapes (and the Hina Spani 2LP). Source material is likely mostly metalwork - so presumably superior to Marston/shellacs cheapo PU setup (!).
Have a few Pearl vocal sets, too....plus quite a lot more on EMI...some possibly not going in their entirety onto CD - such as "Stars of the Vienna Opera" 1918-45
Glad you/anyone likes the transfers (they can be crazily popular despite 'appearances')...
Also have the Gigli/Tosca ALP1020-1 - but suspect they're RCA transferred: technically not too good -as with other early issues (Busch/Mozart vocal compilations) on US pressings.
DeleteThank you so much once again for your musically honest and deeply emotionally satisfying transfers!
ReplyDeleteReally a testament to the recorded-balance and vocal quality - which allows one to become so involved in the unfolding drama.
Delete