Today I have another exciting 78 transfer on CD to share with you, thanks to Stefano Bertoncello (TwoGoodEars), who recommended the Nimbus Records Prima Voce series to me. Thanks, Stefano!
For more information on the Nimbus Records Prima Voce approach to these transfers you can read Stefano's excellent blog post HERE.
The good news is that these transfers are are relatively easy to come by, inexpensive, and you can even order some of them on Amazon, or directly (HERE).
Enrico Caruso in Opera Volume 1 1904-1920, the Nimbus Records 'Prima Voce' transfers from 78s.
I ordered several of them after Stefano told me about them, and the first one to arrive was the Enrico Caruso in Opera Volume 1 1904-1920 album.
The good news is that Nimbus Records has released 157 albums in the Prima Voce series so far, and I envision getting many more of these for my music library.
Early acoustic era recording session. Photo courtesy of the US Library of Congress.
Enrico Caruso (1873 to 1921) is considered to be one of the greatest - if not the greatest - operatic tenors that ever lived, and if you want to hear him sing, the music comes from the acoustic era of recording (1877 to 1925).
These performances by Caruso are spellbinding, and the way the transfers are done makes the inherent surface noise of 78s a non-issue. This album is quieter than some of my LPs from the magnetic era of recording (1945 to 1975).
Westminsters powered by the Triode Lab 45 EVO SET integrated amplifier.
There's a few recording peccadilloes here and there due to the period of recording, but they don't detract from the extraordinary performances of Caruso at all.
With the Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II Level Two Red Book CD player as the source, and the amplification provided by Triode Lab 45 EVO SET integrated amplifier, the music coming from my Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers was rich, warm, dynamic, tonally beautiful, with a big spacious sound quality, so eminently enjoyable, and so emotionally involving.
Enrico Caruso in Opera Volume 1 1904-1920, the Nimbus Records 'Prima Voce' transfers from 78s.
78 transfers are really something special, and it is like time travel listening to these 78 transfer albums I've been telling you about.
For more about 78 transfer albums, you can read the earlier posts in The 78 Experience - Feeling the Music! posts below:
- The 78 Experience: Feeling the music instead of listening to the sound - a matter of the art & the heart! HERE
- The 78 Experience - Feeling the Music: Serge Koussevitzky conducts Beethoven and Prokofiev! HERE
- The 78 Experience - Feeling the Music: Treasures from the Musical Archives of St. Petersburg! HERE
- The 78 Experience - Feeling the Music: Feodor Shalyapin - Dubinuska - Folk and Prisoner Songs! HERE
- The 78 Experience - Feeling the Music: Alfred Cortot - Victor Recordings of 1919-1926! HERE
- The 78 Experience - Feeling the Music: New 78 reissues are on the way! Hooray! HERE
I recommend each and every album to you mentioned in these posts, these 78 transfers - with more to come - represent some of the greatest musical performances from our recorded music canon, and give me goosebumps every time I listen to them.
As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!
