Beautiful singing in early recordings (till WWII)

Welcome to this playlist of recordings of singing from the first half of the 20th century. For this playlist I have chosen for the period more or less up until the second world war. This selection here is far from complete. There are many many good singers of that period that deserve to be heard and enjoyed. The list may therefore vary from time to time, to highlight other singers or other recordings of beloved singers. In general the sound quality of the early recordings is not good. The recording technique of the time was capable of only capturing a part of the sound spectrum. The earliest recordings trace back till about 1896. It is known that those singers did not recognize their own voices when they heard the result. Of course they were not used to hearing themselves from an external point of view, but this was also the result of the still new techniques. Most of the vocal harmonics are not audible. In addition, the speed of the recording apparatus was not always constant, which sometimes gives the impression that the singer is out of tune. All in all, we can only guess how their voices must have sounded in the opera houses and concert halls. They are often described as beautiful and moving. We can hear and enjoy however hear how these great artists sang, how they embellished the vocal lines, how they used dynamics, and how they interpreted that special harmony between text, drama, and music. I am often impressed by the technical control these singers demonstrate. The voices are alive and free with a controlled vibrato, as I think is described in the old documents on singing (treatises). Some singers show great technical skill in their control of dynamics. Others show of in the fast embellished passages by singing those with speed and precision, often ending in long prolongated trills. They take freedom in adapting the tempo of a piece to what they feel is necessary to express the meaning of the text. In one way or another, many of these recordings are singing lessons on technique, style, ornamentation, interpretation, etc. To me, they are a source of inspiration and admiration. We are fortunate to be able to listen to these recordings that go back to about 125 years ago. The early recorded singers could not. They learned from their teachers, who learned from theirs, sometimes going back to important names in musical history. This tradition still exists somewhat. The famous Australian soprano Joan Sutherland for example was taught by her mother, who in her turn had a pupil of Marchesi as her teacher. I hope that these examples of great singers passes on some of that tradition. I want to honor the past of our art and it is my hope that it will be part of our future. Sergio Foresti