Laura Lauri (Soprano) (San Severino Marche 1900 - ?)

She studied singing in Roma under Giuseppe Bezzi and made her debut in 1922 at the Teatro Adriano of Roma as Oscar in ''Ballo in Maschera''.

Chronology of some appearances

1922 Roma  Teatro Adriano  Ballo in maschera (Oscar)

1925 Merano  Teatro Civico  Carmen (Micaela)

1927  Milano  Teatro Carcano  Boheme (Musetta)

1929 Bologna  Teatro Comunale  Francesca da Rimini (Samaritana)

1931 Bologna  Teatro Comunale  Boheme (Musetta)

1933 Genova  Politeama Genovese  Ballo in maschera (Oscar)

1935 Padova  Sala della Regione  Boheme (Musetta)

1938 Livorno  Politeama  Boheme (Musetta)

1942 Ancona  Teatro Delle Muse  Madama Butterfly (Suzuki)

1943 Livorno  Teatro Goldoni  Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)

1945 Parma  Teatro Regio  Faust (Marta)

1946 Livorno  Teatro Goldoni  Madama Butterfly (Suzuki)

COMPLETE RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Fonotecnica
Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Un bel dì 3120
Bohème (Puccini): Mi chiamano Mimì 3122

M. Murray-Davey (Bass) (? 1877 - ?)

He studied singing in Paris under Ernest Masson and Jean de Reszke and made his debut at the Paris Grand Opéra in 1905 as Hermit in ‘’Freischütz’’ and sang there among other things in 1908 the part of Hamlet. In 1907 he made guest appearance at the Opéra Monte-Carlo as Raimondo in ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’. In 1909 he reached the London Covent Garden, where he was engaged till 1914 during several seasons.  He sang there in 1909 the part of Abimelech in ‘’Samson et Dalila’’. In 1914 he appeared as Titurel in ‘’Parsifal’’ whom he repeated in 1925 at the same opera house. On 25. 2. 1912 he appeared as guest in a Sunday Night Concert at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1922 he made guest apperance at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. He still appeared up to the beginning of the 1940’s. His repertoire included Masetto in ‘’Don of Giovanni’’, Boris Godunov and the Arkel in ‘’Pelléas et Mélisande’’. 

Chronology of some appearances

1905 Paris Grand Opera Freischütz (Hermit)

1907 Monte-Carlo Opéra  Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo)

1908 Paris Grand Opera Hamlet (Hamlet)

1909 London Covent Garden Samson et Dalila (Abimelech)

1914 London Covent Garden Parsifal (Titurel)

1922 Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie ?

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Vocalion, London 1924/1925
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Was duftet doch der Flieder A-0245
Don Carlo (Verdi): Ella giammai m'amò A-0245

Eric Marshall (Baritone) (March 1891, Kensington, London, England - July 8, 1961, Westminster, London, England, UK)

His real name was Eric David Marks. He was a nephew of the known French conductor and operatic composer André Messager (1853-1929). He was active in the 19th county of London regiment as an officer. Then he trained his voice under Jean de Reszke in Paris. In 1921 he undertook an England tour together with the famous prima donna Luisa Tetrazzini. As an opera singer he appeared during several seasons at the Covent Garden in London under sir Thomas Beecham. It is possible that he appeared at Italian opera theaters under the artistic name Silvio Sideli. Beside his activity on the stage he had a significant career at the concert hall. He made made guest appearances in England, Paris and Berlin. At London he was also to be heard in musical Comedies, among other things in 1926 in ‘’The Cat and the Fiddle’’. He recorded some early acoustic recordings for Vocalion, mostly songs, but also opera arias in Italian and French. On Vocalion he sang several songs written by Guy d'Hardelot. A baritone Silvio Sideli also recorded, the same sangs of Guy d'Hardelot in Italy for the Vocalion. On the other hand, in 1921, a baritone called Silvio Sideli made records for Columbia in Italy.

Chronology of some appearances

1920's England, Paris and Berlin

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Vocalion, London 1922-11?
Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Non più andrai C-01085 02994

HMV, London 1925-02-26 (ac)
Du bist wie eine Blume (Schumann) E380 (7-42091)
Die Lotosblume (Schumann) E380 (7-42090) 

HMV, London 1926-12-30
The heart's secret (Rachmaninov) E455 (6-2746)
In the silent night (Rachmaninov) E455 (6-2747)

Violet Essex (Soprano) ( England Oct. 19, 1893 - Los Angeles County California, USA Jan. 31, 1941)

During The Great war, everyone needed lighter music, especially lively ditties from popular musicals. The talented English soprano Violet Essex, known as "Vera Desmond", recorded mostly lighter music. Under her own name Violet recorded Arditi's "Il bacio" and Musetta's Waltz from La Boheme and dazzled in Gilbert and Sullivan operas that HMV would begin to record late in the war. As “Vera” she recorded current tunes such as Dorothy Forster's "Take me to flowerland with you" as well as English songs of the ages "Where the bee sucks" by Arne and "Orpheus with his lute" by Sullivan.

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia, London 1912?

Il bacio (Arditi) 28197

HMV, London 1915-02-26
Bohème (Puccini): Musetta's waltz song 2-3075 Ho1214b