Melba HM Release – Dec 2008

With the up and coming release of the Historic Masters special issue of lost Nellie Melba recordings – it seems worth a moment to listen to her in concert – recorded electrically in concert at Covent Garden, London.

La Boheme. Act 3 Entrate…Ce Rodolfo?
Act 3 La Boheme. Donde lieta usci. Addio dolce svegliare alla mattina.

This is part of Melba’s Final Farewell Performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. It is also a historical technical breakthrough as it was only possible due to the introduction of electrical recordings in 1925/26. It is the first broadcast on radio of a performance outside the recording/radio studio. A land cable was run between the Royal Opera House, and Gloucester House, London, where the recordings were started and stopped virtually ‘blind’. Hence the abrupt endings to some of the pieces. Unfortunately some of the singers were under contract to other recording companies, and were forbidden to permit their voices being recorded by a rival company.

Purchase Melba Issue Online