The Golden Age of Singing, Vol.2

All performances digitally remastered for the first time!

Legendary Opera stars from the Golden Age of Television. Many performances released for the first time. All newly remastered from Voice of Firestone telecasts, 1950-1963, and issued for the first time with English subtitles. Arias and duets from La Bohème, La Gioconda, Die Walküre, The Merry Widow, Romeo and Juliet, Mignon, Faust, Carmen, Ernani, Andrea Chenier, etc., sung by Renata Tebaldi, Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Lauritz Melchior, Hilde Gueden, Roberta Peters, Mimi Benzell, Robert Rounseville, Gladys Swarthout, Cesare Siepi, George London, Elena Nikolaidi, Eleanor Steber, Gabrielli Tucci, and more. Black & White, Mono, NTSC (Playable all regions), 4:3, 93 minutes.

  1. HILDE GUEDEN Lehár: The Merry Widow - Vilia (10/21/1957) 2:20
  2. ROBERTA PETERS Gounod: Roméo & Juliette - Je veux vivre (2/10/1963) 3:27
  3. MIMI BENZELL & ROBERT ROUNSEVILLE Gounod: Roméo & Juliette - Nuit d’Hyménée (6/27/1955) 4:01
  4. GLADYS SWARTHOUT Thomas: Mignon - Connais-tu le pays (11/10/1952) 2:52
  5. CESARE SIEPI Gounod: Faust - Le veau d’or (4/09/1951) 1:50
  6. GEORGE LONDON Gounod: Faust - Vous qui faites l’endormie (12/2/1962) 2:45
  7. ELENA NIKOLAIDI Bizet: Carmen - Habanera (10/29/1951) 4:01
  8. ELEANOR STEBER Verdi: Ernani - Ernani, involami (5/28/1951) 5:10
  9. GABRIELLA TUCCI Giordano: Andrea Chénier - La mamma morta (2/24/1963) 4:36
10. DOROTHY KIRSTEN Puccini: Tosca - Vissi d’arte (5/18/1959) 3:28
11. JUSSI & ANNA-LISA BJOERLING Puccini: La Bohème - O soave fanciulla (03/06/1950) 3:53
12. RENATA TEBALDI Puccini: La Bohème - Donde lieta uscì (2/2/1959) 3:21
13. BIDU SAYAO Puccini: Madama Butterfly - Un bel dì (2/4/1952) 4:17
14. DANIELE BARIONI Puccini: Madama Butterfly - Addio, fiorito asil (2/24/1963) 1:54
15. BIRGIT NILSSON Ponchielli: La Gioconda - Suicidio (1/6/1963) 4:03
16. ROBERT MERRILL Leoncavallo: Pagliacci - Prologue (12/30/1962) 4:16
17. RICHARD TUCKER Leoncavallo: Pagliacci - Vesti la giubba (6/1/1959) 2:46
18. LICIA ALBANESE DeCurtis: Torna a Surriento (2/19/1951) 2:30
19. FRANCO CORELLI D’Annibale: ‘O Paese d’ ‘o sole (6/2/1963) 2:07
20. LAURITZ MELCHIOR Wagner: Die Walküre - Winterstürme (9/24/1951) 2:28
21. HELEN TRAUBEL Wagner: Die Walküre - Du bist der Lenz (1/16/1950) 1:43
22. HELEN TRAUBEL Wagner: Die Walküre - Hojotoho (2/27/1950) 1:57
23. LAURITZ MELCHIOR Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer - Steersman’s Song (1/14/1952) 3:00

Encores:

24. CESARE SIEPI Program Opening and Firestone: If I Could Tell You (4/9/1951) 1:33
25. CESARE SIEPI Rossini – L’Italiana in Algeri – Le femmine d’Italia (10/19/1953) 2:39
26. ROBERTA PETERS Friml: l’Amour, toujours l’amour (2/1/1954) 3:23
27. ROBERTA PETERS & CESARE VALLETTI Verdi: La Traviata - Libiamo (1/26/1959) 2:38
28. NADINE CONNER Verdi: La Traviata - Sempre libera (9/15/1952) 3:50
29. PATRICE MUNSEL Donizetti: La Fille du Régiment – Chacun le sait (12/26/1955) 2:56
30. ELEANOR STEBER Firestone: In My Garden (11/2/1953) :52

Firestone Orchestra & Chorus
Howard Barlow, Wilfrid Pelletier, Harry John Brown, and others

Selections never before available include: 1, 3-7, 9, 14, 16, and 23-30.
Selections available for the first time ever on DVD: 2, 8, 10, 13, 18, and 22.

All performances newly remastered from Kinescope sources from The Voice of Firestone Collection, New England Conservatory Archives, Boston, MA
Special Thanks to Jamie Rigler