The Edison phonograph monthly (Jan-Dec 1914)

64 EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY, MAY, 1913 EXPLANATORY TALK DESCRIPTIVE OF SINGLE FACE DISC RECORD No. 83013 A feature, original with the Edison disc, is an "appreciation" recorded on the back of single faced records, when placed upon the machine a clear, pleasing voice gives an intimate but delightful introduction to the music recorded on the reverse side. Here is such a talk on Disc Record 83013: — La Donna e Mobile (Woman is Fickle) — Rigoletto By Alessandro Bond It is said that the musical score of "Rigoletto" was written by Verdi during a period of forty days. It was first brought out in Venice, at La Venice Theatre, on March 11th, 1851, and was a most brilliant success. Its story is bloodthirsty, like many of Verdi's other librettoes, but is none the less interesting. Gilda is the daughter of Rigoletto, hunchback jester to the court of the licentious Duke of Mantua. Rigoletto is extremely watchful of his own daughter, although always willing to aid the Duke in his love affairs with the daughters of others. The Duke finally meets Gilda and in the guise of a young student, makes her fall in love with him. She is finally abducted from her home at the Duke's instigation and carried to the Palace. The father's rage is horrible to witness. He rushes to the Palace, but too late to save his daughter's honour. Still loving the Duke, Gilda pleads for his life, but Rigoletto swears to kill him. Sparafucile, an innkeeper friend of Rigoletto, agrees to lure the Duke to his inn by means of Sparafucile's attractive sister, Maddalena. The Duke goes to the Inn, and here, standing in the gardtn he sings the melody, "La Donne e Mobile" (Woman is Fickle), given on this record. He then meets Maddalena, and makes love to her. Rigoletto and Gilda, the latter in male attire, listen outside the wall. According to the plot, Sparafucile is to murder the Duke, put his body in a sack and deliver it to Rigoletto, who is to throw it into the river. Maddalena, however, is so attracted by the Duke's wooing, that she pleads with her brother not to kill kim. Sparafucile agrees, provided he can find someone else to kill and deliver to Rigoletto. Meanwhile Gilda, still in love with the Duke, eludes her father and goes to the Inn. Sparafucile kills her, and gives her body in the sack to Rigoletto. He is about to cast it into the river, when he hears the Duke's voice. The wretched man opens the sack, sees his daughter just dying, and falls senseless. This aria, "La donna e mobile," made an instantaneous hit at the opera's first performance and was long hummed, sung, and played to death everywhere. To make quite sure that the public should not hear this catchy melody before the night of the performance, Verdi did not put it on paper until within a few hours of the time when Mirate, the tenor, had to sing it. Soon all Venice was mad over it, and, at the time it was the most frequently heard melody in the whole realm of opera. It is doubtful if a more illustrious rendition of "La donna q mobile" has ever been given, than this one by Signor Bonci. He is the greatest living exponent of the bel canto,~a.nd the aria itself is a perfect type of that style. Bonci's position as one of the world's greatest tenors has never been questioned, but in the lyric tenor roles of Verdi's earlier operas, such as "Rigoletto" and "II Trovatore," he is absolutely supreme. THE FABLE OF THE DEALER WHO FORGOT WHAT HE WAS SELLING THERE was once a phonograph dealer whose mentality was cluttered up with arguments. He was muscle-bound in the mind. Whenever a customer came in to be shown, Mr. Dealer turned on the conversation. He called special attention to the fine old Circassian walnut in the cabinet and laid stress on the graceful lines. Then he would open up the phonograph as if he were going to take it apart. He would call over the customer and hold a clinic, going into every phase of its anatomy. Every time the customer started to say something he would interrupt with, "Just a minute, please," and then he would be off on another discourse; this time a technical rhapsody about motors. Following which came several speeches from Mr. Dealer on the subject of acoustics. Overtones and timbres were all mixed up in the customer's mind and he was looking for a chance to break away and come up for air. Suddenly Mr. Dealer was called away to answer a phone call. The customer beckoned to an assistant. "Do you know how to work this phonograph?" said he. The assistant allowed he did. "Then make it play something," urged the customer. Mr. Dealer was gone quite a while and he didn't see the smile of appreciation that broke over the customer's features. When he finally came back he found that the assistant had made a sale and had the money in the cash drawer. Also, he found a note left by the customer. It read: "I came here to get a musical instrument, not a cross between a mechanical toy and a piece of furniture. Your assistant helped me to find what I wanted." Moral: — Hearing is Believing.