[78-L] Signed-in-wax recordings post-Berliner (such as Mary Garden on Columbia A 1190) query.

[David Lennick]

> From: mbiel at mbiel.com
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 13:24:08 -0700
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Signed-in-wax recordings post-Berliner (such as Mary Garden on Columbia A 1190) query.
> 
> We discussed this a few months ago with reference to vaudevillians Joe
> Weber and Lew Fields who always signed all their masters. Mary Garden
> was part of the 1903 Columbia Grand Opera Series but I am not sure if
> these masters are from that series, but she might have continued the
> practice in her later recordings. Hungarian performer Kiraly Erno also
> signed most of his masters, both those he recorded in Europe and in the
> U.S. I think Pablo Casals signed some, and perhaps Sarasate did also. 
> Many Fonotipia masters are signed which enables you to match that with
> the rubber-stamped signature on the labels. 
> 
> I don't think Sophie Tucker signed her masters, but at Whistlin' Willies
> last week we saw a 78 Mercury gatefold sleeve that she had signed in
> blue pencil. As usual. 
> 
> Mike Biel mbiel at mbiel.com 

 

Sophie Tucker's signature can probably be found in Grant's Tomb, on the door to the men's room at Sardi's, and on a hunk of gefilte fish.

 

Felix Weingartner, Josef Hofmann and other celebrity artists also signed their Columbia discs. Stravinsky signed the last side of "Jeu de Cartes" on Telefunken, which screwed up any plans they might have had to add a run-out. Walter Gieseking signed a couple of Homophone masters (I think it was for them) which were reissued on Parlophone and subsequently on Red Decca.

 

dl