Les Urnes de l'Opera

"On Dec. 24, 1907, a group of bewhiskered men gathered in the bowels of the Paris Opera to begin a project that by definition they could never see to fruition. … Now the 100 years are up, and after lengthy examination, cleaning and digitizing of the records, EMI, the heir to the Gramophone Company, is reissuing them on three CDs. … The great tenor Enrico Caruso can be heard in three excerpts from Verdi and one each from Donizetti and Puccini, and the Australian soprano Nellie Melba sings a solo from Verdi’s 'Rigoletto' and Cherubino’s 'Voi che sapete' from 'Le Nozze di Figaro.' The legendary Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin could hardly be omitted, although he sings only a Russian ballad. In contrast, the Italian tenor Francesco Tamagno, who created the title role in Verdi’s 'Otello' in 1887, offers a dramatic reprise of the Moor’s dying aria, 'Niun mi tema,' to piano accompaniment" (Alan Riding, "From a Vault in Paris, Sounds of Opera 1907," New York Times, 2/16/09).

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