[78-L] Columbia Grand Prize Info

[Chris Zwarg]

At 18:17 15.01.2009, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
> 
>
>I'm holding a copy of Columbia 1434 (mx. 1431-1) "Invocation" by Gounod sung
>by an unidentified Baritone (announced in French) and I can't make it out.

You found a good one: The singer is Maurice DECLERY - he was on the Metropolitan Opera roster from 1901 to 1903, and made only a small handful of records. Recorded early in 1903 (around March I'd guess; exact dates are hard to come by for early Columbias).

The item sung is of course Valentin's Invocation "Avant de quitter ces lieux" from the 2nd act of Gounod's opera FAUST.

Chris Zwarg