78 Tours Odeon 238.277 – Czardas & Minuetto – Albert Locatelli

Born at the end of the 19th century, the disc 78 laps is the first mass sound medium in modern history.

Manufactured mainly from shellac, a natural but fragile material, it imposes very early technical constraints that will permanently influence how to record, play and listen to music. Each face, limited to a few minutes, required precise, condensed interpretations and great artistic mastery.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the golden age of 78 laps, the major European record companies – including Odeon – play a fundamental role in the diffusion of classical, symphonic and popular music. The Odeon label, recognizable by its iconic neoclassical façade, is synonymous with sound quality, artistic seriousness and prestige. The French presses of this period are now particularly appreciated by collectors for their finishing and historical value.

The record presented here, Odeon 238.277, fits fully into this tradition. Interpreted by the Maestro Albert Locatelli and his genre orchestra, it honours two emblematic works of the classical repertoire arranged for orchestra: expressive, accessible music, thought as much for domestic listening as for immediate emotion. Locatelli, a renowned conductor and performer of his time, embodies this link between scholarly virtuosity and popular elegance that characterizes many Odeon recordings.

This 78 laps, made in France, testifies to a know-how that is now gone. Despite the marks of time, inherent in a century-old support, it remains a Heritage object, bearer of sound memory and musical aesthetics of the inter-war period. It is addressed to classical music lovers as much as to the demanding collectors of old records, sensitive to the authenticity and history of the first recordings.

Securities per face

• Face A: Czardas – Vittorio Monti

• Face B: Minuetto – Luigi Boccherini