The Complete Adelina Patti and Victor Maurel

COMPLETE TRACK LISTING
LINER NOTES
A NOTE FROM WARD MARSTON

In the second half of the 19th century Adelina Patti and Victor Maurel were arguably the most important opera stars of their day. Patti was peerless. Audiences flocked to see and hear her, from St. Petersburg to San Francisco. Internationally famous authors eulogized her; critics renowned for their severity were unstinting in her praises. Even other prima donnas, members of a breed not noted for generosity to rivals, acknowledged her supremacy. Maurel was the consummate actor with a voice to match. The eminent critic W.J. Henderson declared him "the greatest of singing actors." Verdi chose Maurel to create the role of Iago in Otello and the title-role in Falstaff. Despite the phonograph being invented in the twilight of their careers, history is fortunate to have captured these luminaries on disc. On this two CD set, Patti still evokes the legend that is Patti, and Maurel, often known more for his stage presence than his singing, shines as the singer and not the actor.

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Track Listing
CD 1 (72:14)
Adelina Patti
Gramophone and Typewriter Company
Recorded at Craig-y-nos Castle, Patti's home in Wales / December 1905
1. LE NOZZE DI FIGARO: Voi che sapete (Mozart) 3:08
(537f) 03051
2. Pur dicesti, o bocca bella (Lotti) 3:51
(538f) 03052
3. Home, sweet home (Bishop; words by Payne) 3:36
(539f) 03053
4. Old folks at home (Foster) 3:05
(540f) 03054
5. DON GIOVANNI: Batti, batti, o bel Masetto (Mozart) 3:27
(541f) 03055/Transposed down a whole tone to E-flat
6. FAUST: Ah! je ris de me voir si belle {Jewel Song} (Gounod) 2:35
(542f) unpublished/Transposed down a semi-tone to E-flat
7. FAUST: Ah! je ris de me voir si belle {Jewel Song} (Gounod) 2:43
(543f) 03056/Transposed down a semi-tone to E-flat
8. Il bacio (Arditi) 2:35
(544f) unpublished
9. Kathleen Mavourneen (Crouch; words by Crawford) 4:23
(545f) 03057
10. MARTHA: The last rose of summer (Old Irish Air; arr. Flotow; words by Moore) 2:39
(546f) published only on HMB 78/in F
11. Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) 2:26
with Marianne Eisler, violin /(547f) first published on IRCC 33
12. La Serenata (Tosti; words by Cesareo) 3:16
(548f) 03058
13. Robin Adair (Old Scottish Air; words by Keppel) 2:26
(549f) 03059
14. Home, sweet home (Bishop; words by Payne) 3:53
(550f) unpublished
15. Si vous n'avez rien à me dire (Rothschild) 2:47
(551f) 03060
16. Comin' thro' the rye (Old Scottish Air; words by Robert Burns) 1:42
(552f) 03061
17. MARTHA: The last rose of summer (Old Irish Air; arr. Flotow; words by Moore) 2:50
(553f) 03062/Transposed down a semi-tone to E
18. The banks of Allan Water (Old Scottish Air; arr. Charles Horn) 3:05
(555f) unpublished
19. On parting (Patti; words by Byron) 2:44
(556f) 03063
20. 'Twas within a mile of Edinboro' town (Hook) 2:32
(557f) 03064/in G-flat
21. New Year's greeting to Baron Cederström from Adelina Patti 0:22
unpublished
 
June 1906
22. Kathleen Mavourneen (Crouch; words by Crawford) 4:40
(676c) 03078
23. La Serenata (Tosti; words by Cesareo) 3:15
(677c) 03079
24. 'Twas within a mile of Edinboro' town (Hook) 2:33
(678c) unpublished (assigned 03080)/in G
Tracks 1-20 accompanied by Landon Ronald, piano; Tracks 22-24 accompanied by Alfredo Barili (Patti's nephew), piano
Languages: English [3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16-22, 24]; French [6, 7, 15]; Italian [1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 23]; Latin [11]
 
CD 2 (76:18)
1. NORMA: Casta diva (Bellini) 3:56
(681c) 03082/Transposed down a whole tone to E-flat
2. MIGNON: Connais-tu le pays? (Thomas) 2:47
(682c) 03083/in D-flat
3. LA SONNAMBULA: Ah! non credea mirarti (Bellini) 3:23
(683c) 03084/in G minor
4. La Calesera (Yradier) 3:09
(684 1/2 c) 03085/in D-flat
5. NORMA: Casta diva (Bellini) 3:43
(681c) 03082/Remastered in E
6. MIGNON: Connais-tu le pays? (Thomas) 2:38
(682c) 03083/Remastered in D
7. LA SONNAMBULA: Ah! non credea mirarti (Bellini) 3:12
(683c) 03084/Remastered in G-sharp minor
8. La Calesera (Yradier) 2:45
(684 1/2 c) 03085/Remastered in D
 
Victor Maurel
Gramophone and Typewriter Company / Paris, 1903
 
9. Chanson du printemps (Gounod) 2:49
(1626F) 2-32815
10. IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE: Le ciel par d'éclatants miracles... De noirs pressentiments (Gluck) 3:32
(1627F) 2-32809
11. Marquise (Massenet) 2:49
(1628F) 2-32810
12. L'Heure exquise (Hahn) 3:19
(1629F) 2-32811
13. Le rondel de l'adieu (De Lara) 3:32
(1630F) 2-32812
14. Fédia (D'Erlanger) 3:43
(1631F) 2-32813
15. OTELLO: Era la notte (Verdi) 3:05
(1632F) 2-32814
Fonotipia Company / Milano, November 1904
16. OTELLO: Era la notte (Verdi) 3:03
(XPh 583) 39042
17. Marechiare (Tosti; words by Di Giacomo) 2:28
(XPh 65) 39032
18. DON GIOVANNI: Deh! vieni alla finestra (Mozart) 2:00
(XPh 66) 39041
19. Le rondel de l'adieu (De Lara) 2:57
(XPh 67) 39246
20. Mandolinata (Paladilhe) 2:46
(XPh 682) 39245
21. Ninon (Tosti) 4:08
(XPh 692) 39247
Fonotipia Company / London, January 1907
22. FALSTAFF: Quand'ero paggio (Verdi) 2:24
(XPh 2332) 62016
23. A year ago (D'Hardelot) 3:03
(XPh 2333) 62018
24. Au temps du grand roi (Tosti) 3:23
(XPh 2334) 62017
Tracks 1-8 accompanied by Alfredo Barili (Patti's nephew), piano
Languages: English [23]; French [2,6,9-14,19, 21, 22, 24]; Italian [1,3,5,7,15-18, 20, 22]; Spanish [4,8]

Photographs: Girvice Archer, Gregor Benko and Robert Tuggle

Producers: Jeffrey Miller and Ward Marston

Audio Conservation: Ward Marston

Booklet Design: Takeshi Takahashi

Marston would like to thank Richard Bebb, Sir Paul Getty, Victor Girard, Harry S. Glaze, Lawrence F. Holdridge, Andrew Karzas and Peter Lack for their help in the production of this CD release.
The following selections are re-recorded from copies in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Laurence C. Witten II in the Yale Collection of Historical Sound Recordings, Yale University Library CD1 [21] CD2 [10-14]