Clara Butt sings Handel's ...

Posted by: George Fredrik on 01 October 2010

"Ombra Mai Fu"

Too great a find not to share.

The orchestra is rather mangled in the 1915 aucoustic recording [presumably made in English Columbia's studio at Petty France], but the voice comes through with the expressive immediacy that seemingly no modern recording can match.

Why should this be? Was the quality of singing so much finer then that some loss in the recording was of no significance, or was this actually a very true recording style [at least for the soloist singer] unrivalled by anything but the best 78 electrical recordings from the thirties ...

"Ombra Mai Fu"

ATB from George
Posted on: 01 October 2010 by EJS
quote:
Originally posted by George Johnson:
"Ombra Mai Fu"

Too great a find not to share.

The orchestra is rather mangled in the 1915 aucoustic recording [presumably made in English Columbia's studio at Petty France], but the voice comes through with the expressive immediacy that seemingly no modern recording can match.

Why should this be? Was the quality of singing so much finer then that some loss in the recording was of no significance, or was this actually a very true recording style [at least for the soloist singer] unrivalled by anything but the best 78 electrical recordings from the thirties ...

"Ombra Mai Fu"

ATB from George


George, you are right - Clara was recorded with great care. But probably equally important is that the limited dynamic range in the early days of recording required the orchestra to be as small as possible, and sit far back from the microphone. Often, strings were substituted for copper for increased clarity. The singer's voice is spotlighted, making it stand out from the background. The same effect is heard on the famous Caruso recordings.

EJ
Posted on: 01 October 2010 by George Fredrik
And here is an even more remarkable performance with Aksel Schiǿtz singing "Ev'ry Valley" from Handel's Messiah in 1940 [Danish HMV].

I have a much finer CD transfer from Danacord, but even those listening via a non-electic gramophone were hardly deprived.

Aksel Schiǿtz- Every Valley from The Messiah

Best wishes from George
Posted on: 05 October 2010 by George Fredrik
Something to charm anyone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjw4wR4uaaE

The words are there for you, but the pro-jec-ti-on is so fine that you will not need to read, I expect!

Haydn's setting of a nice little ditty by a certain Mrs. Hunter, sung by Elisabeth Schumann in 1945 with Gerald Moore accompanying at the piano.

ATb from George