Part of the content is temporarily available only in Greek
This recording is a U.S. reissue by the Victor of a record originally issued by Concert Record Gramophone under catalogue number 6-12441. It was recorded in Constantinople on March 16, 1909, by Ioannis Kokkinis, with recording engineers Fred Gaisberg and Hugh Murtagh. It includes the song “Triantafyllia (Romance)” [The Rosebush], which, according to the General Catalogue of Greek Gramophone Records 1913–1914 published in Alexandria by F. Mizrahi, is attributed to “Cavadia” (see here, page 16).
As evidenced by the bilingual score (in Greek and Romanian) published in Bucharest in 1890 and 1899 (see respectively here and here) by Const. Gebauer, the song is a composition by the Greek-origin Romanian composer and singer George Cavadia. The cover of the edition bears the Greek title “I Triantafyllia” and the Romanian title “Douě rose”. The musical text consists of a three-staff system (two for piano and one for voice) and includes both Greek and Romanian lyrics signed by Jean A. Ghimpa. It also carries a printed dedication to Madame Marie P. Th. Zaïmi and the designation “Romance Grecque”.
George Cavadia was born in 1858 in Macedonia and settled with his family in Brăila during childhood. He studied piano and took singing lessons with the Italian tenor Luigi Ademollo. He was a composer and performer of lieder and romances, a composer, and an important patron of Brăila’s musical life.
Wealthy, a large landowner, and without other professional ocupation apart from his temporary service as Consul in Spain, George Cavadia was a founding member and principal benefactor of the Musical Society “Lyra” (1883), contributing decisively to the construction of its building, the establishment of a School of Music (later a Conservatory), and the creation of its choir and symphony orchestra. His activity was instrumental in establishing Brăila as a significant musical center until the Second World War.
He possessed a bartione voice of unusual range and appeared as asinger, among other venues, at the National Theatre of Bucharest (1883), and his reputation extended to Naples, Paris and Madrid. He composed around twenty romances (see here and here) that achieved wide popularity both within and beyond Romania.
He died on January 18, 1926, in Paris and was buried in Brăila. By decision No. 171 of July 30, 2004, of the Municipal Council of Brăila, he was posthumously declared an Honorary Citizen of the city. In 2016, the Brăila County Council gave the “Lyra” Philharmonic his name in tribute to its founder (for further information on George Cavadia see here and here).
Regarding his presence in the discography, four songs recorded in Bucharest are listed in the Alan Kelly database in which he is credited as composer:
– “Umbra”, J. Băjenaru, 1904 (Gramophone 2037 x – 2-12652).
– “Sârutatul,” Mara d’Asty, 1904 (Gramophone 2045 x – 13906 and 425, 503091 4425, AM1453).
– “Alinta”, Miciora-Havrilez, 1905 (Gramophone 569 r – 3-13011).
– “Alinta”, Maria Herescu, August 1913 (Gramophone 15852 l – 5-13273 and 5011 AM1444).
We should also note the recording entitled “Adio de Cavadia” (Perfection Concert Record P.C. 80012), with lyrics by Theodor Şerbănescu, recorded in Bucharest between 1909 and 1912 by Jancu Marinescu accompanied by the orchestra of Alexandru Dărcă (see the music score here).
However, other recordings are also found with titles that appear among George Cavadia’s songs. Notably, “Luna mea” (see the music score here), recorded four times, the earliest being that of the baritone Baru Tanase in July 1907 in Constantinople (Gramophone 2012 Α – 12048), and “Unde ești” (see the music score here), recorded twice by the baritone Aurel Eliade, in July 1907 in Constantinople (Gramophone 2018 Α – 12053) and in 1902 in Bucharest (Gramophone 2650 – 72724). Although no audio material has been located for the above recordings, it is highly likely that they include songs by Cavadia, a hypothesis strengthened by the fact that all of the recordings were performed by Romanian singers.
We also note the recording by Arta Florescu with the Orchestra de Cameră Radio conducted by N. Rădulescu in 1941 in Bucharest of the song “Sârutatul”, as well as that by Ioana Radu in 1956 in Bucharest of the song “Dor de răzbunare”, accompanied by Orchestra de Muzică Populară Radio conducted by Victor Predescu (Electrecord T.S. 956 – 2084).
This recording is a U.S. reissue by the Victor of a record originally issued by Concert Record Gramophone under catalogue number 6-12441. It was recorded in Constantinople on March 16, 1909, by Ioannis Kokkinis, with recording engineers Fred Gaisberg and Hugh Murtagh. It includes the song “Triantafyllia (Romance)” [The Rosebush], which, according to the General Catalogue of Greek Gramophone Records 1913–1914 published in Alexandria by F. Mizrahi, is attributed to “Cavadia” (see here, page 16).
As evidenced by the bilingual score (in Greek and Romanian) published in Bucharest in 1890 and 1899 (see respectively here and here) by Const. Gebauer, the song is a composition by the Greek-origin Romanian composer and singer George Cavadia. The cover of the edition bears the Greek title “I Triantafyllia” and the Romanian title “Douě rose”. The musical text consists of a three-staff system (two for piano and one for voice) and includes both Greek and Romanian lyrics signed by Jean A. Ghimpa. It also carries a printed dedication to Madame Marie P. Th. Zaïmi and the designation “Romance Grecque”.
George Cavadia was born in 1858 in Macedonia and settled with his family in Brăila during childhood. He studied piano and took singing lessons with the Italian tenor Luigi Ademollo. He was a composer and performer of lieder and romances, a composer, and an important patron of Brăila’s musical life.
Wealthy, a large landowner, and without other professional ocupation apart from his temporary service as Consul in Spain, George Cavadia was a founding member and principal benefactor of the Musical Society “Lyra” (1883), contributing decisively to the construction of its building, the establishment of a School of Music (later a Conservatory), and the creation of its choir and symphony orchestra. His activity was instrumental in establishing Brăila as a significant musical center until the Second World War.
He possessed a bartione voice of unusual range and appeared as asinger, among other venues, at the National Theatre of Bucharest (1883), and his reputation extended to Naples, Paris and Madrid. He composed around twenty romances (see here and here) that achieved wide popularity both within and beyond Romania.
He died on January 18, 1926, in Paris and was buried in Brăila. By decision No. 171 of July 30, 2004, of the Municipal Council of Brăila, he was posthumously declared an Honorary Citizen of the city. In 2016, the Brăila County Council gave the “Lyra” Philharmonic his name in tribute to its founder (for further information on George Cavadia see here and here).
Regarding his presence in the discography, four songs recorded in Bucharest are listed in the Alan Kelly database in which he is credited as composer:
– “Umbra”, J. Băjenaru, 1904 (Gramophone 2037 x – 2-12652).
– “Sârutatul,” Mara d’Asty, 1904 (Gramophone 2045 x – 13906 and 425, 503091 4425, AM1453).
– “Alinta”, Miciora-Havrilez, 1905 (Gramophone 569 r – 3-13011).
– “Alinta”, Maria Herescu, August 1913 (Gramophone 15852 l – 5-13273 and 5011 AM1444).
We should also note the recording entitled “Adio de Cavadia” (Perfection Concert Record P.C. 80012), with lyrics by Theodor Şerbănescu, recorded in Bucharest between 1909 and 1912 by Jancu Marinescu accompanied by the orchestra of Alexandru Dărcă (see the music score here).
However, other recordings are also found with titles that appear among George Cavadia’s songs. Notably, “Luna mea” (see the music score here), recorded four times, the earliest being that of the baritone Baru Tanase in July 1907 in Constantinople (Gramophone 2012 Α – 12048), and “Unde ești” (see the music score here), recorded twice by the baritone Aurel Eliade, in July 1907 in Constantinople (Gramophone 2018 Α – 12053) and in 1902 in Bucharest (Gramophone 2650 – 72724). Although no audio material has been located for the above recordings, it is highly likely that they include songs by Cavadia, a hypothesis strengthened by the fact that all of the recordings were performed by Romanian singers.
We also note the recording by Arta Florescu with the Orchestra de Cameră Radio conducted by N. Rădulescu in 1941 in Bucharest of the song “Sârutatul”, as well as that by Ioana Radu in 1956 in Bucharest of the song “Dor de răzbunare”, accompanied by Orchestra de Muzică Populară Radio conducted by Victor Predescu (Electrecord T.S. 956 – 2084).
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
