“Bell Solo” from “The Magic Flute” Edison Blue Amberol

Описание: “Bell Solo” from “The Magic Flute” Edison Blue Amberol #1553 with Charles Daab bell soloist, with orchestral accompaniment, released in 1912. The Magic Flute, or in German, “Die Zauberflöte” Köchel catalogue number 620, is a two-act opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1791, with the libretto in German by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form during the time it was written that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work was premiered on September 30th, 1791 at Schikaneder's theatre, the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna, just two months before the composers premature death.

The synopsis of this opera is basically as follows. The Queen of the Night persuades Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamina from captivity under the high priest Sarastro. Tamino, gifted with a magic flute, and Tamino, gifted with a set of magical bells by the queen to help them on their quest instead, learns the high ideals of Sarastro's community and seeks instead to join it. Separately, then together, Tamino assisted by his magic flute, and Pamina undergo severe trials of initiation, where the trials end in triumph, and in the end the Queen and her cohorts are vanquished. The earthy Papageno, who accompanies Tamino on his quest, fails the trials completely but is rewarded anyway with the hand of his ideal female companion, Papagena. It is a medley of the magic bells solos we hear mostly on this cylinder, with the flute making only a brief passage heard here.

Percussionist Charles Daab was an instrumentalist who played the bells, xylophone and glockenspiel. Information on him seems to be difficult locate, it would appear he recorded for Edison Records starting around 1909 through at least 1916, with at least some of his recordings issued on Edison Diamond Discs as well as cylinder format.

German impresario, dramatist, actor, singer, and composer Emanuel Schikaneder was born Johann Joseph Schickeneder on September 1st, 1751, in Straubing, Bavaria. to Joseph Schickeneder and Juliana Schiessl. Both of his parents worked as domestic servants and were extremely poor. In the fall of 1780, the Schikaneder troupe made an extended stay in Salzburg, and at that time Schikaneder became a family friend of the Mozarts. Schikaneder took the role of Papageno at the opera premiere. Mozart died only a few weeks after the premiere, on December 5th, 1791. Schikaneder was distraught at the news and felt the loss sharply. He evidently put on a benefit performance of The Magic Flute for Mozart's widow Constanze, who at the time faced a difficult financial situation. Schikaneder continued to produce the opera at intervals for the rest of his career in Vienna. By 1804, Schikaneder's career had taken a downward turn; his productions could not bring in enough customers to cover their cost. Following economic problems caused by war and an 1811 currency devaluation, Schikaneder lost most of his fortune, and was driven insane. He died impoverished in Vienna on 21 September 1812 at age 61. He was remembered as being "one of the most talented theater men of his era".

Celebrated composed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27th, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria, the son of Leopold Mozart (1719–1787) and Anna Maria, née Pertl (1720–1778), he was baptized Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, he generally called himself "Wolfgang Amadè Mozart" as an adult, but his name had many variants. Mozart composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. He composed more than 600 works, many of which are acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. During his final year, Mozart's financial situation, a source of anxiety, finally began to improve. Although the evidence is inconclusive. he composed a great deal during his final year, including the opera The Magic Flute; and the unfinished Requiem K. 626. He experienced great satisfaction with The Magic Flute, which was performed several times between its premiere and Mozart's death. Though Mozart fell ill while in Prague, he continued his professional functions for some time and conducted the premiere of The Magic Flute on 30 September. His health deteriorated on 20 November, at which point he became bedridden, suffering from swelling, pain, and vomiting. Mozart was nursed in his final illness by his wife and her youngest sister and was attended by the family doctor, Thomas Franz Closset. He was mentally occupied with the task of finishing his Requiem, but the evidence that he dictated passages to his student Franz Xaver Süssmayr is minimal. Mozart died in his home on December 5th, 1791 at 12:55 am, aged 35 years. Mozart was interred in a common grave, in accordance with contemporary Viennese custom, at the St. Marx Cemetery outside the city on December 7th, the tale of a storm and snow is false; the day was calm and mild.