Please wait for me to send you an invoice. DO NOT USE EBAY CHECKOUT if you want the lowest possible postage.

 

Welcome to my auctions of great records

This is my FIRST WEEK of 2 weeks of great auctions –– I can hold your records and bill you after the close of the second week on Nov 11..

PLEASE DO NOT PAY before I send you an invoice. It will take me up to 48 hours to pack your records, but this is the ONLY WAY to get you the LOWEST POSTAGE. If you pay before I sent you an invoice, the EBAY system will charge you a HIGHER POSTAGE for shipping.

International shipping: approx postage 1x10"=$25: 1x12"=$35: 10"Album 4 Rec=50$: 12" Album 2 Rec=50$
HOWEVER in most cases I can get you SIGNIFICANT savings by using other services. Pls contact me for a quote.

About 30% less to Canada. Pls ignore international postage displayed in Ebay, rates are too high

Please wait for me to send you an invoice. DO NOT USE EBAY CHECKOUT if you want the lowest possible postage.

 

I am currently selling a series of great Richard Wagner and classic European 78 rpm orchestral recordings on all the great European labels:

 

Stellar Barcelona Coloratura Soprano Mercedes Capsir (six degrees of separation: 11 years to hear birth, Maria Barrientos was born in the same house)

in the FIRST ELECTRIC 1928 La Traviata complete on 15 xColumbia  DIRECT PRESSING pre war gold label 12" 78 rpm records in two Original Albums (a few records in the second volume are silver label)

LA TRAVIATA, recorded 1928, w.Molajoli Cond. La Scala Ensemble; Mercedes Capsir, Lionello Cecil, Carlo Galeffi, Giuseppe Nessi, Salvatore Baccaloni,

 

 

Condition: EXCELLENT rare scuffs, plays very very quiet. Albums are great, spine faded

A CHOICE COPY

THIS IS THE TRAVIATA TO HAVE, WARNING, CAPSIR IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.

Mercedes Capsir - a steely, brilliant soprano, with the beguiling quick vibrato of Spanish singers. THink of her as a Supervia without the warmth, but a cutting edge to her voice.

Or to quote from my trusted Kutsch/Riemens Grosses Saengerlexikon (my translation): One of the most voluminous Colorature voices of them all, in addition of a crustalline clarity of tone formation and a bravura technique.

And, the Alfredo hear is a pleasant, very lyrical tenor  with a very soft voice. No question who wears the pants in this Traviata.

And one of those great web reviews:

“Curiously, Mercedes Capsir was born in the same house where, 14 years earlier, Maria Barrientos had been born. She studied in Barcelona and Italy, making her début as Gilda in 1914 at the Teatro Principal in Gerona. She sang in Spain and Portugal until 1918 and appeared at the Teatro Colón in 1916. Her most important rôles were Lucia, Ophélie, Rosina, Gilda and Violetta. In 1919 she began her Italian career at Bologna and Florence, frequently appearing at Naples, Turin and Rome until 1943. She sang at La Scala from 1924 - 1934, taking also part in Giordano’s IL RE (1929). She often returned to Spain. She was heard in Berlin in 1924, at Covent Garden in 1926 and at the Vienna State Opera in 1935. Capsir retired from the stage in 1949, her final performance took place at the Liceo in Barcelona, as Carolina in IL MATRIMONIO SEGRETO, she then turned to teaching.”

The Columbia label recorded many of the most popular Italian operas with La Scala forces during the 1920s and 1930s. Competition came from RCA Victor and conductor Carlo Sabajno; record critics in the 1930s took sides on whether they preferred the Victor Sabajnos or the Columbia Molajolis, as repertoire often overlapped. These were among the first complete operatic recordings, and what a stack of shellac they were. This La Traviata was issued on 15 discs in two volumes. Listeners at home needed to change sides 29 times, and they needed to be in good physical shape even to carry the records home from the shOp. And woe to the family member who broke a precious disc, even by accident! I love nostalgia, but all things considered, I'll take the CDs.

This recording was made in November 1928. Its centerpiece is Barcelona-born soprano Mercedes Capsir, who also recorded an excellent complete Rigoletto during the 78 rpm era with Riccardo Stracciari in the title role. Although she has her moments of shrillness (an effect due at least in part to the original discs), she is an appealing, expert Violetta. The coloratura demands of Act One are no problem for her, and while she can't plumb the dramatic depths in the later acts the way that Maria Callas could (for example), she is hardly unconvincing, both vocally and dramatic. Her Act Two confrontation with Alfredo, culminating in her collapse at Flora's party, is genuinely moving, and her reading of Giorgio Germont's letter at the start of "Teneste la promessa" is heartbreaking. The other Violetta on disc most like hers is Rosanna Carteri's, as conducted by Pierre Monteux (not on CD, apparently). However, if you want to become a Capsir fan, try the seven selections that Naxos and reissue producer Ward Marston have added at the end of the second CD. Here Capsir shows her coloratura charm off, and how! Recorded between 1926 and 1933, these selections include rarities by Umberto Giordano (two arias from Il Re), The Carnival of Venice, a song by Lehßr, and a stunning "Qui la voce" from I Puritani.

Capsir's partner is Lionello Cecil, an Australian who also went by the names Lionel Cecil and Cecil Sherwood. He is an ardent, boyish Alfredo, and one can well understand (if not condone) his rash behavior in Act Two. (The other Cecil recording worth noting is his 1929/30 Madama Butterfly with Margaret Sheridan.) His father is sung by veteran Carlo Galeffi, whose noble singing added class to an Andrea ChΘnier recorded a few years later (Naxos Historical 8.110066-67). Galeffi, in his mid-40s when this Traviata was recorded, sings like a much younger man, and one might imagine him to be Cecil's brother, not his father, from the evidence presented here! Galeffi always sings with emotion. He is an unusually sympathetic Giorgio, even when he is relentlessly goading Violetta to give up Alfredo. "Di provenza il mar" is beautifully sung. The smaller parts are done with professional polish, and I must mention Salvatore Baccaloni in the little role of Doctor Grenvil, because he would continue on to become a buffo star at the Metropolitan Opera in the 1940s. The mysterious Lorenzo Molajoli brings no special insights to Verdi's score, nor does he do anything that makes one cringe. Some fast tempos probably are by-products of 78 rpm side-lengths. The traditional cuts are taken.

 

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A Quick NOTE ON GRADING AND SHIPPING:

As you can see from my feedback, I try hard to earn your POSITIVE FEEDBACK and FIVE STAR RATINGS.

If for any reason your transaction was NOT SATISFACTORY, pls contact me and I will work something out with you. YOU WILL NEVER HAVE A REASON TO GIVE ME A NEGATIVE RATING or a LOW STAR RATING.

Quick note on grading:

The Grade (Excellent to Poor, I don't give Mint) refers to the WEAR of the record. Any other defects are stated separately

When I listen to a record, I may also give it an aural grade (again E to P), and make a SUBJECTIVE judgment of the pressing quality for hiss and surface noise.
"SUPERQUIET" is basically noiseless, like a vinyl pressing.
"VERY QUIET" is an exceptionally quiet record for a given pressing.
"Quiet" is a record that is a great example without undue noise for a give pressing.

These judgments are SUBJECTIVE and will depend one the styli, phonograph etc. you use on your own equipment.

Pls check my other auctions for more great records and phonograph items:

Multiple item shipping: I am happy to combine items for shipment in one parcel.

If you win multiple items, pls send me an INVOICE REQUEST to calculate the correct postage. Ebay check out will not give you the multiple item discount!

Records will be packed safely between corrugated cardboard in a sturdy box with plenty of padding for safe shipment.

Shipment is usually Media Mail, unless you request another service. Shipping is at your risk, I will be happy to insure items at your cost.

I charge actual postage plus a small fee for packing materials

As always, I guarantee your satisfaction. If you don't like the item, just return it, and I will refund the full purchase price.

If you are in the San Francisco area, I encourage pick-up in person.

US Domestic Shipping:

Here is a guideline for US Media Mail Shipping:

Prices below are for regular 78 rpm records. Up to about 5 records, I will ship Edison Discs for the same rates. Albums from Album Sets count as 1 record. Above that and for international shipments, it will be actual weight plus a small packing charge (1-3$ depending on size of shipment)

1 record: 4.75 – 5.00$

2 records: 6.00$

5 records: 7.50$

10 records: 10.00$

MANY MORE RECORDS: Don't worry. I safely ship 40 - 50 pounds of records double boxed in moving boxes, and even then Media Mail will probably not exceed 35$.

Please send me a message if you would like to lower your shipping rates!

I am very happy to ship records worldwide.

Please use the EBAY shipping cost only as a guideline. My actual charges are usually lower

One record usually ships for 25 – 28$ for 10" 35$ for most 12" records (Less for Canada).

I can get SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER rates from FedEx and the US Postal service for any kind of parcel weight, and will make use of all the cost-saving shipment methods

Pls contact me for a shipping estimate, or send me an invoice request after close of auction. 

AND AGAIN -THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST

As you can see from my feedback, I take great care in presenting, grading and shipping your items. I really want you to be happy with the purchase. If you feel that anything is wrong with the item or the shipping, contact me and we will work it out !!!

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Thank you very much, and good luck bidding !!!