[log in to unmask] writes:

>I remember hearing a horrendous second Queen of the Night aria ("Der Hoelle
>Rache") on an EMI collection of *Les Introuvables du Chant Mozartien*,
>which, on the basis of posts I've read now and previously, I assumed had
>been by Mme.  Jenkins.
>
>It wasn't.  It was by Maria Galvany.  It sound like a 33 rpm lp played at
>45 or 78 rpm.  The liner notes describe the rendition as "both curiosity
>and monstrosity...show[ing] what idea of Mozart was current at the time!"
>In the performance's feeble defense, it was recorded in 1906.

I can't add to the information about her, but I own the disk, and the warp
speed performance is distinguished by only one thing.  That she could get
through the aria at that speed without crashing and burning was astounding,
but the performance was to laugh.  In those days, perhaps people sped up to
fit within the time constraints of a disk; I recall Gerald Moore describing
these hazards in his book.  For another intolerable example of 200mph
performance, check out Sarasate's Preludio from the Bach E Major Partita.

The F over High C, which Eric Kisch refers to, is from an aria in I
Puritani.  It was sung in falsetto by an singer and teacher who used a
pseudonym of Benvenuto Finelli.  There is also a recording with the F in
full voice by Albert DaCosta, which must be heard while you are standing
well away from anything breakable.

For a head-busting rendition of the Lucia Sextet, while I've never heard
the Shirley Temple version, may I recommend the excerpt sung by Clara
Cluck, with sling-shot obligato?

Michael Stein