This volume of the Audio Encyclopedia presents many of the earliest recording of operas. Dating from 1907 to 1930, we present complete operas, complete Acts, abridgements and pastiches - the various forms in which albums were issued and treasured in the first third of the twentieth century. Note that some sides of several recordings have eluded our search; nevertheless, we believe that these are as nearly complete recordings as can be assembled today.
In addition to the recordings tabulated below, we offer four Gilbert and Sullivan operas recorded between 1917 and 1924: HMS Pinafore, Mikado, Princess Ida and Ruddigore. There are also five Kurzoper: Boheme, Carmen, Freischütz, Lohengrin and Martha. They are German-language abridgements of the early electrical era - antecedents of the Grosser Querschnitt LP's of three decades later.
| Title | Year | Cast |
| Aida | 1912 | various |
| Il barbiere di Siviglia | 1919 | Sabajno; Badini, Taliani; Pereira |
| La boheme | 1918 | Sabajno; Bosini, Giana; Andreini, Badini |
| Carmen | 1908 | Seidler-Winkler; Destinn; Jörn (German) |
| Cavalleria rusticana | 1909 | Kark; Rose, Hempel; Naval (German) |
| Cavalleria rusticana | 1916 | Sabajno; Ermolli, Ravelli; Tumminello |
| Cavalleria rusticana | 1927 | Buesst; Blyth, Parry; Nash (English) |
| Faust | 1908 | Seidler-Winkler; Jörn, Knüpfer; Destinn (German) |
| Faust | 1918 | Sabajno; Romagnoli, Autori; Bosini (Italian) |
| Madama Butterfly | 1927 | Goossens; Buckman; Davies (English) |
| Pagliacci | 1907 | Sabajno; Paoli; Huguet |
| Pagliacci | 1918 | Sabajno; Bolis; Conti |
| Pagliacci | 1927 | Goossens; Mullings; Licette (English) |
| Rigoletto | 1912 | Ruhlmann; Noté, Lassalle;Vallandri (French) |
| Rigoletto | 1916 | Sabajno; Formichi, Taccani; Ferraris |
| Rigoletto | 1917 | Sabajno; various, Broccardi; various |
| Rigoletto | 1918 | Sassano; Anticorona, de Lucia; de Angelis |
| Ring des Nibelungen | 1924 | various (English) |
| Ring des Nibelungen | 1929 | von Hoesslin; Weber, Kirchhoff; Gottlieb |
| Tannhäuser - Act II | 1909 | Künneke; Vogelstrom, Weil; Krull |
| La traviata | 1912 | Archinbaud; Morlet; Trosselli (French) |
| La traviata | 1915 | Sabajno; Bevignani; Tumminello |
| Tristan und Isolde - Act III | 1928 | Coates/Blech; Ljungberg; Widdop |
| Il trovatore | 1912 | Ruhlman; Fontaine; Morlet, Lapeyrette (French) |
| Walküre - Act I | 1913 | von Strauss; Denera; Decker, Schwegler |
Mail me at operas@mrichter.com