MELBA, Nellie: American Recordings, Vol. 3 (1907-1916)

This volume is the third of a series of three Naxos discs containing all the known recordings Melba made for the Victor Talking Machine in Camden, New Jersey and in New York. Although Melba’s 1910–1916 American sessions offer sonically improved repeat recordings of Desdemona’s arias from Otello and the second of her two published versions of Vissi d’arte, the later sessions also offer new operatic material and selections from her concert repertoire. Of particular note are the Aubade (originally for tenor) from Lalo’s Le roi d’Ys, which Melba transforms into a veritable showpiece, crowned with a fine trill, as well as a selection of art-songs and ballads that were a popular feature of Melba’s vocal recitals.

Tracklist

Lalo, Édouard
Blau, Edouard - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
1 Le roi d’Ys, Act III: Puisqu’on ne peut flechir...Vainement, ma bien aimiee 03:28
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
Puccini, Giacomo
Giacosa, Giuseppe - Lyricist
Illica, Luigi - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
2 Tosca, Act II: Vissi d’arte 03:14
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
Verdi, Giuseppe
Boito, Arrigo - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
3 Piangea cantando nell’erma landa, "Willow Song" 04:21
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
4 Ave Maria, piena di grazia 04:20
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
Tosti, Paolo
Whyte-Melville, George John - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
5 Goodbye 05:03
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
Ronald, Landon
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
6 Summertime: No. 4. O Lovely Night 04:00
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
Wetzger, Paul
Lemmone, John (flute)
Melba, Nellie (piano)
7 Am Waldesbach (By the Brook), Op. 33 04:20
Lemmone, John (flute)
Melba, Nellie (piano)
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Metastasio, Pietro - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
8 Il re pastore, K. 208, Act II: L’amero saro costante 04:47
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Bach, Johann Sebastian
Gounod, Charles-François
Bible - New Testament - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Kubelík, Jan (violin)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
9 Ave Maria 04:32
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Kubelík, Jan (violin)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Lehmann, Liza
Kingsley, Henry - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
10 Magdalen at Michael’s Gate 04:02
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Debussy, Claude
Verlaine, Paul-Marie - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
11 Mandoline 01:28
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Debussy, Claude
Bourget, Paul - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
12 Romance 02:16
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Charpentier, Gustave
Favart, Charles-Simon - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
13 Louise, Act III: Depuis le jour (1st take) 04:48
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
14 Louise, Act III: Depuis le jour (2nd take) 04:30
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Foster, Stephen C.
Foster, Stephen C. - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
15 Old Folks at Home 03:08
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
White, Maude Valerie
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
16 John Anderson, My Jo 03:56
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Traditional
Traditional - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
17 Comin' thro' the rye 01:52
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Bemberg, Herman
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
18 Les anges pleurent 02:09
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
19 Chant venitien 01:33
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Lapierre, Gabriel (piano)
Traditional
Lehmann, Liza - Arranger
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
20 Annie Laurie (arr. L. Lehmann) 03:02
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
Dvořák, Antonín
Heyduk, Adolf - Lyricist
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
21 Zigeunermelodien (Gypsy Melodies), Op. 55: IV. Songs My Mother Taught Me (1st take) 02:28
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
Studio orchestra (Orchestra)
Rogers, Walter B. (Conductor)
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
St. Leger, Frank (piano)
22 Zigeunermelodien (Gypsy Melodies), Op. 55: IV. Songs My Mother Taught Me (2nd take) 02:27
Melba, Nellie (soprano)
St. Leger, Frank (piano)

Total Playing Time: 01:15:44