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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 22. 1973

Immortal Performances: RCA

Immortal Performances: RCA

When the long-playing record was first introduced, the recording companies stored the masters of their old 78 rpm's m vaults where they were soon to be forgotten. It was only after experimenting with new techniques such as recording the highlights of an entire show or the "live performance" that requests for re-issuing some of the more popular 78 rpm's on LP's started to trickle in. At first, these requests were ignored. The reason given was that it was not profitable to release these old records in view of the limited demand. In some cases, the masters were lost. But when a small but dedicated band of music lovers started to record their, old jazz and opera 78 rpm's on to LP's and sell them to an ever-growing public, the major labels were obliged to take note. Especially, when one "bootlegger" flouting international, commercial practices, re-recorded a complete library on to LP's without prior permission and set himself up in business under the conspicuous name of "Jolly Roger". In the long run, the pirating of private property was stopped by court action but by then the lesson had been driven home. The recording companies were now ready to press their own masters. The result: a fabulous wealth in musical recordings by famous artists was immediately available. Not only were they preserved for posterity by means of improved reproduction techniques, but students were in a position to listen to some of the finest renditions in musical history. And this is how "Immortal Performances" came about— a collection of "unforgettable voices in unforgotten performances".

The list includes "Caruso. 1904-1906" (Italian and French operas). "Golden Age" (voices of Caruso, Galli-Curci, Schipa, De Luca) 'The Art of Lawrence Tibbett" (opera and concert), "Richard Crooks", "John McCormack" (opera); "McCormack singing Songs of Sentiment", "Galli-Curci" (opera). "Unforgettable Voices in Unforgettable Performances" (Caruso, Sigrid Onegin, Rose Ponselle, De Luca, Lily Pons, Zinka Milavon, Johanna Gadski, Pasquale Amato, Margaret Mattenaucr, Florence Quartarare, Ramon Vinay, Emmy Destinn), "Jeanetter McDonald and Nelson Eddy" (Vintage Series), "Kirsten Flagsted".