Antique Columbia Record By Lillian Nordica La Gioconda (Suicidio) Very Rare
$
60
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Description
Vintage Columbia Symphony Series 78 RPM Record: Mme. Lillian Nordica - "La Gioconda (Suicidio!)" (1910) - Rare Operatic Classic!
Journey back to the early days of recorded music with this rare 1910 Columbia Symphony Series 78 RPM phonograph record, featuring the legendary American soprano Mme. Lillian Nordica in a dramatic performance of "Suicidio! In questi fieri momenti" ("Suicide! My one resource") from Amilcare Ponchielli’s opera *La Gioconda*. Sung in Italian with orchestral accompaniment, this single-sided shellac disc (catalog number 30133) captures Nordica’s powerful voice and emotional depth, delivering the intense aria with the artistry that made her a star at the Metropolitan Opera.
Pressed by the Columbia Graphophone Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, this record is a prized artifact from the infancy of the recording industry. The label, with its iconic blue and orange design and gold lettering, showcases Columbia’s early awards from the Paris (1900), St. Louis (1904), and Milan (1906) expositions, and includes patents up to November 30, 1909, marking this as a 1910 pressing of Nordica’s early Columbia recordings. Originally priced at $3.00—equivalent to nearly $100 today—this was a premium release for the elite classical music audience of the era.
The shellac disc is in impressive condition for its 110+ year age, with only light surface marks that enhance its vintage charm. Perfect for collectors of early phonograph records, opera enthusiasts, or history buffs, this record offers a rare chance to own a piece of Lillian Nordica’s legacy, recorded at the height of her career in the late 1900s. It’s a window into operatic history, captured through the acoustic recording technology of the time, when the phonograph was transforming how music was enjoyed.
Whether you display this historic treasure in your collection or play it on a 78 RPM phonograph (using a proper stylus to preserve its condition), this record is a must-have for anyone passionate about the origins of recorded sound. Don’t miss your opportunity to own an early Columbia pressing by one of the greatest sopranos of her time, bringing the raw emotion of *La Gioconda* to life through Nordica’s unforgettable voice!
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