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Gaetano Braga

Gaetano Braga (June 9, 1829 – November 21, 1907) was an Italian composer and cellist.

He was born in Giulianova in Abruzzi and died in Milan.

Braga's works include compositions for the cello (two concertos, a quintet, a quartet, works for cello and piano) and the operas:

  • Alina or La spregiata (1853, Naples)
  • Estella di San Germano (1857, Vienna)
  • Il ritratto (1858, Naples)
  • Margherita la mendicante (1859, Paris)
  • Mormile (1862, Milan)
  • Ruy Blas (1868)
  • Reginella (1871, Lecco)
  • Caligola (1873, Lisbon)

A "Serenata" (serenade) by Braga, sometimes called "Angel's Serenade" or "Légende valaque" (Wallachian Legend), is a dialogue (comparable to that in "Erlkönig") between a worried mother and a girl who hears an angel's voice calling her; in the end the girl follows the voice ("O mamma buona notte, io seguo il suon, io seguo il suon!"). It is mentioned in Anton Chekhov's short story "The Black Monk," as well as in other Russian works of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As composed, the narrator sings the voice of the mother and girl, while the angel's voice is portrayed through the violin or cello. In the original print, the string player was instructed to play from an adjoining room from the pianist and singer, in order to create the effect of a distant angelic voice. Braga's "Angel's Serenade" has been recorded notably by tenor John McCormack and violinist Fritz Kreisler (in English), Jan Peerce and Mischa Elman (in English), Christian Ketter and Cara Schlecker (in Italian), Richard Tauber and Dajos Bela (in German).

Birth and Death Data: Born June 9, 1829 (Giulianova), Died November 21, 1907 (Milan)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1900 - 1933

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 78 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W98605 12-in. 11/8/1928 Angel's serenade Anna Case Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 6066 12-in. approximately 1910 Angel's serenade Jean Schwiller Cello solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 10160 10-in. approximately 1903 to 1908 La serenata Francesco Daddi Tenor vocal solo composer  
Columbia 10873 10-in. approximately 1908 to 1914 Legenda Valacca Ines Vannini Mezzo-soprano vocal solo composer  
Columbia 40573 10-in. between 1903 and 1906 Der Engel Lied Adolf Sens ; Hedwig Zimmer Female vocal solo, with violin composer  
Columbia 75224 12-in. 11/12/1922 Angel's serenade Hubert Eisdell ; Frederick B. Kiddle ; Albert Sammons Male vocal solo, with violin and piano composer  
Columbia 76065 12-in. approximately 1917 Angel's serenade Hubert Eisdell ; Frederick B. Kiddle ; Albert Sammons Male vocal solo, with violin and piano composer  
OKeh 202 10-in. ca. June 1918 Angel's serenade Grace Kerns Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 4023 10-in. approximately Aug. 1920 Angel's serenade Marie Tiffany Female vocal solo, with violin obbligato composer  
Brunswick 15310 10-in. 3/26/1925 Angel’s serenade Elisabeth Rethberg Soprano vocal solo, with piano, harp, and violin composer  
Brunswick 11732-11734 10-in. 10/25/1923 Angel's serenade Marie Tiffany Female vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato composer  
Brunswick 15305-15306 10-in. 3/26/1925 Angel’s serenade Elisabeth Rethberg Soprano vocal solo, with string ensemble, harp, and violin obbligato composer  
Brunswick E28507 10-in. 10/1/1928 La serenata degli angeli Raoul Romito Male vocal solo, with violin and piano composer  
Brunswick E28809 10-in. 11/16/1928 Der Engel Lied Lia Karina ; Erna Pielke Female vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick E19433-E19434 10-in. 6/2/1926 Angel’s serenade Frederic Persson ; Elisabeth Rethberg ; Max Rosen Soprano vocal solo, with violin obbligato and piano composer  
Edison 425 12-in. approximately Nov. 1910 Serenata di Braga Maria Farneti Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 698 Not documented approximately July 1911 Angel's serenade Venetian Instrumental Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Edison 3063 10-in. May-June 1914 Angel's serenade Merle Alcock ; Clementine de Vere Vocal duet (soprano and contralto), with orchestra composer  
Edison 3634 10-in. 3/9/1915 Angel's serenade Venetian Instrumental Quartet Instrumental quartet composer  
Edison 3941 10-in. 7/6/1915 Angel's serenade Venetian Instrumental Quartet Instrumental quartet composer  
Edison 4757 10-in. 6/1/1916 The angel's serenade Walter Van Brunt Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 4892 10-in. 7/19/1916 Angel's serenade Ida Gardner Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 6771 10-in. 5/7/1919 Angel's serenade Robert Gayler ; Igor Sokoloff ; Madeleine MacGuigan Sokoloff Violin and cello duet, with piano composer  
Edison 7240 10-in. 3/24/1920 Angel's serenade Cherniavsky Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Edison 7891 10-in. 4/6/1921 The angel's serenade Vera Barstow ; Amy Ellerman ; Robert Gayler Contralto vocal solo and violin obliggato, with piano composer  
(Results 51-75 of 78 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Braga, Gaetano," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106041.

Braga, Gaetano. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106041.

"Braga, Gaetano." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106041

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