Emma Calvé Complete Victor Recordings 1907-16
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Stephen Collins Foster, Georges Bizet, Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Charles-François Gounod, Sebastián de Yradier, Traditional, Claude-Joseph Rouget De Lisle, Félicien(-César) David, Pietro Mascagni, Johann Paul Aegidius Martini
Label: Romophone
Magazine Review Date: 6/1997
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 63
Mastering:
Mono
Acoustic
ADD
Catalogue Number: 81024-2

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
(La) Perle du Brésil |
Félicien(-César) David, Composer
Emma Calvé, Soprano Félicien(-César) David, Composer Victor Orchestra |
Cavalleria rusticana, Movement: Voi lo sapete |
Pietro Mascagni, Composer
Emma Calvé, Soprano Pietro Mascagni, Composer Victor Orchestra |
Carmen, Movement: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) |
Georges Bizet, Composer
Emma Calvé, Soprano Georges Bizet, Composer Victor Orchestra |
Old folks at home |
Stephen Collins Foster, Composer
Anonymous Pianist(s), Piano Emma Calvé, Soprano Stephen Collins Foster, Composer |
Hérodiade, Movement: ~ |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Emma Calvé, Soprano Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Victor Orchestra |
Ma Lisette |
Traditional, Composer
Anonymous Pianist(s), Piano Emma Calvé, Soprano Traditional, Composer |
Au printemps |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Anonymous Pianist(s), Piano Charles-François Gounod, Composer Emma Calvé, Soprano |
Plaisir d'amour |
Johann Paul Aegidius Martini, Composer
Anonymous Pianist(s), Piano Emma Calvé, Soprano Johann Paul Aegidius Martini, Composer |
Canción española |
Sebastián de Yradier, Composer
Anonymous Pianist(s), Piano Emma Calvé, Soprano Sebastián de Yradier, Composer |
Sérénade |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Anonymous Pianist(s), Piano Charles-François Gounod, Composer Darius Lyons, Flute Emma Calvé, Soprano |
Carmen, Movement: ~ |
Georges Bizet, Composer
Charles Dalmores, Tenor Emma Calvé, Soprano Georges Bizet, Composer Victor Orchestra |
Frère Jacques |
Traditional, Composer
Emma Calvé, Soprano Remualdo Sapio, Piano Traditional, Composer |
Au clair de la lune |
Traditional, Composer
Emma Calvé, Soprano Remualdo Sapio, Piano Traditional, Composer |
(Une) Poule |
Traditional, Composer
Emma Calvé, Soprano Remualdo Sapio, Piano Traditional, Composer |
(La) Marseillaise (Hymne des Marseillais) |
Claude-Joseph Rouget De Lisle, Composer
Claude-Joseph Rouget De Lisle, Composer Emma Calvé, Soprano King's Orchestra New York Metropolitan Opera Chorus |
Author:
Still, perhaps some who have heard one of Calve’s records in a ‘historical’ collection (usually the 1907 Habanera is chosen) may object that the sample gave them no great pleasure; and certainly the beauties of her records have to be sought out. A starting-point might be the folk-song Ma Lisette, sung first in an almost rough, boyish fashion but performing two little miracles on the way. Better than the 1907 Habanera is the 1916, with piano. Better than either, as affording a glimpse of the famous Carmen in action, is the ‘La-bas’ passage with Charles Dalmores (what a pity they did not record the finale). A different, more cleanly defined voice is heard in the aria from Herodiade, and the earliest of the three versions of Old Folks at Home is worth enduring (lugubriously slow with breaths in all the wrong places and emotion sticky as fly-paper) for the heavenly reprise of “All de world am sad and dreary”.
Calve was not one of those ‘golden age’ singers who suddenly appear clad in their original authentic glory. Not long after her death Ernest Newman heard some of her records played over the wireless and complained that he found hardly a single note that was properly in tune. Modern reproduction and the excellence of transfers such as these make a difference, of course, but even in their most primitive form they still contain much beauty, evident enough “would men observingly distil it out”.'
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