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Description for IRCC 10" 78 RPM RECORD #170

 

Artists:  (A) American soprano (and film actress) FRITZI SCHEFF, with French tenor Thomas Salignac and Polish bass Edouard du Reszke. (B) Polish soprano MARCELLA SEMBRICH with French baritone Charles Gilbert and (?) Emma Van Cauteran.

 

A:  FAUST (Gounod) "Il t'aime," recorded February 13, 1903.

 

B:  LA FILLE DU REGIMENT (Donizetti) a) "De et avon si tender"  b) "En avant, ra-ta-pian," both recorded January 30, 1903. 

 

Remarks:  All three recordings were made by Lionel Mapleson, presumably using a cylinder recorder, in the Metropolitan Opera House.  Considering these were "private" recordings, this re-cording is very rare.

 

Condition:  The record has a couple very light scuffs and a smattering of micro-blisters. 

 

Sound:  Surface noise is very low.  I heard no ticks.  The quality of the recordings, made acoustically in a huge venue, is admittedly poor, but the singing is audible.  To hear these singers from "The Golden Age of Opera" performing on a stage lit by gaslight is incredible (the Met did not have electric stage lighting until 1913).

 

Label:   Both labels have pictures of the featured singer.  The first label is hand numbered "28," out of how many I don't know.

 

Sleeve:  Collector's sleeve has no tears or splits.

 

Records are graded using eBays’s grading scale, based mostly on the record’s surface appearance.  Grading is conservative but subjective.  Records are only moderately cleaned for photos and testing. Sound conditions are detailed above, and only very poor (or very good) sound may affect grading.  Labels and sleeves are not graded; see photos for those details.  Records are tested on an inexpensive, but modern, Crosely portable phonograph.  *Sometimes a small weight (1.5g) is added to the tone arm to enhance playback and tracking.

 

MINT:  A new record, sealed, or possibly never played.                  

NEAR MINT:  A used record that looks new -- shiny -- with negligible wear.

EXCELLENT:  May have some light scuffs and/or scratches, but still has most of its shine.

VERY GOOD PLUS:  Has some wear and may appear a little cloudy with light scuffs or scratches, but still has some shine.

VERY GOOD:  Record is quite cloudy, and/or has a few deeper scratches.

GOOD PLUS:  Record looks very cloudy, and has a deep scratches or other flaws.                      

GOOD:  Record is very worn and gray, scratched, or flawed, but is still playable.

 

 

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All the records we list come from the estate of Dr. James M. Kinney of New Windsor, Maryland, one of the East Coast’s largest record collectors.

 

 

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