Description

VILHELM HEROLD – A Portrait in Song

UPC: GV 73

Product Details

Format: Vinyl, LP, Mono, Compilation
Genre: Classical
Country: UK
Label: Rubini Records
Series: The Rubini Collection – GV 73

Tracklist

Side A

Cavalleria Rusticana – Siciliana (Mascagni)
Cavalleria Rusticana – Brindisi (Mascagni)
Cavalleria Rusticana – Addio Alla Madre (Mascagni)
Rigoletto – Questa O Quella (Verdi)
Kom Karina – Venetian Serenade (Svendsen)
Roméo et Juliette – Ah! Lève-toi soleil (Gounod)
Carmen – Il fior (Bizet)

Side B

La Traviata – Brindisi (Verdi)
La Traviata – Un dì felice (w. Tenna Frederiksen) (Verdi)
La Traviata – Sempre libera (w. Tenna Frederiksen) (Verdi)
La Traviata – Dei miei bollenti (Verdi)
Fra Diavolo – Fra Diavolo’s Aria (Auber)
Elverskud – Olaf’s Ballad (Gade)
Aftensang – (Bay)

Overview

This rare LP documents Vilhelm Herold's remarkable vocal artistry in a curated selection of operatic highlights and art songs. A revered tenor across Scandinavia and the wider European stage, Herold recorded prolifically during the acoustic era, and this compilation draws upon early Gramophone Company (GC) matrix numbers, spanning operatic favorites from Verdi, Bizet, Gounod, and Mascagni, alongside Nordic repertoire by Svendsen, Gade, and Bay. His performances of Don José, Rodolfo, Lohengrin, and Canio earned him a reputation for thrilling yet lyrical portrayals, confirmed in his six-season guest tenure at Prague’s Narodní Divadlo.

Highlights include:

A dramatically sung Ah! Lève-toi soleil from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette
A sensitively nuanced “Il fior” from Carmen
Sparkling Verdi duets with soprano Tenna Frederiksen

This LP is Volume 1 of the Rubini Collection’s tribute, focusing on Herold’s Italian and French repertoire. A second volume featuring his Wagner recordings is anticipated.