This is one of the most precious early live Operatic performance recording; The Opening Scene excerpt from Act 2 of Leoncavallo's \"I Pagliacci\". Recorded Live by Lionel Mapleson at Metropolitan Opera House, New York. Recorded on a two minute Wax cylinder on January 30th, 1903(!)
The recording is mostly with chorus, but the famous Italian baritone, Antonio Scotti, can be heard clearly on some passages.
Now, can you believe that this is a LIVE performance, from 1903, recorded on a primitive Wax cylinder? I couldn't believe it even after I listened this over and over.
I didn't do any filtering job or any sound modification on this one. This audio came directly from a tape copy of lacquer disc transcriptions made by William H. Seltsam of IRCC with a collaboration of New York public Library in 1941. Later transfers made in the 1960s and 1980s doesn't sound much vivid and clear as this one.
