[78-L] A Chaliapin Covent Garden Question or Two

[David Lewis]

I realize there's a book Called "Covent Garden On Record" -- even thumbed through a copy long ago. But I doubt I can refer to it before I do my show Thursday and wonder if anyone can answer some of these things off the top.
 
I know of the Melba Farewell Recital of 1926 and Chaliapin's recorded appearances in Mefistofile (1926), Faust (1927) and Boris Godunov (1928). My question is, of all of the Covent Garden performances given in these years, why him? Apart from the fact that he was great, of course. Or were these recordings part of a more extensive project of recording at Covent Garden in the late 20s?
 
At the end of one side I have of Mefistofele -- on a cheap CD reissue -- Chaliapin as the devil is whistling frantically and is cut off in mid-whistle with a loud thump. Is that in the original, or is that a by-product of my cheap CD reissue?
 
Did Chaliapin ever work on radio?  
 
thanks for stoppin' by and reading my post on Chaliapin 

Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com 		 	   		  
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