‘Turner, Eva, soprano. Recording exclusively for Columbia.’ Thus ran her entry in the light-blue ‘celebrity’ catalogue of 1938, which listed under her name eight double-sided records – not very much to show, one felt, for Britain’s most famous opera singer and her exclusive contract. The truth is that more recordings existed, but they were mostly more of the same. Of the 15 titles (the Turandot solo was double-sided) available then, several replaced earlier versions, some of which were themselves replacements. The complete edition of her records now includes three versions of ‘Ritorna vincitor’, ‘O patria mia’ and ‘Suicidio’, two of ‘Voi lo sapete’, ‘Vissi d’arte’ (with another two in English) and ‘In questa reggia’ (with three further performances from other sources). Of these issues only the aria from Il trovatore had no duplication. These, with two exciting concerted items and six rather unexciting songs, comprise the full complement of records that had at some time been available up to that date. 1938, however, was the year of Sir Henry Wood’s jubilee and the magical Serenade to Music which Vaughan Williams wrote for it: this allocated a solo to Eva Turner and, when recorded, yielded another (roughly) 45 seconds of her singing. After that, as far as Columbia and the exclusive contract were concerned – silence. She sang on into the post-war period, giving glorious performances of her great role of Turandot, but not another note of singing appeared on record.
Fortunately, the complete edition has been able to draw on other sources. Of these, the most important is the Royal Opera House, where in l937 Columbia recorded excerpts from Turandot twice: in two separate performances, that is, the same passages being taken from each. There was also a series for Columbia in 1933, of which the most valuable items (all except two songs) remained unpublished. A third source has been the BBC. It should have been possible to write ‘the BBC Archives’, but in fact these items were saved for posterity only by a happy combination of chance and private enterprise while they were on their way to destruction. In terms of repertoire, no more than six items were added by this and by the recovery of the unpublished material of 1933. Add a mention of her solo in the National Anthem recorded from the stage at Covent Garden on Coronation night, 1937, and that is it: voila tout.
The box states that this issue must be one of ‘the most significant releases of the decade’. It is certainly very welcome, but I’m not sure about the significance. The crux of the matter is still the Columbias which remain available on EMI (9/89), together with the Turandot recordings, also released on EMI (9/88) though recently deleted. Collectors of E J Smith’s Golden Age of Opera series on LP may already have the extra Puccini items from the BBC (if so they will at least find them now in much better sound). The alternative takes of ‘I love but thee’ and Homing will be new, as will the not very striking solo by Granville Bantock and the vivid (but surely not very good) performance of God Save the King. ‘Significance’, I would say, lies not so much in any additional musical value as in the drawing together of all this material into one habitat.
Central to the collection is the live Turandot from Covent Garden. Eva Turner’s was a voice made for the opera house and for this role: to hear it direct from the stage is one of the great thrills of recorded sound. That the Calaf of these performances was Martinelli, an inspired solver of the enigmas, makes it all the more precious, the only regret being that his solos are outside the remit and therefore (along with other items) omitted. The new transfers make clearer than before the difference between the two evenings’ recordings, the first bringing a formidable face-to-face encounter, the second being preferable in balance, ambience and general cohesion.
Among the other ‘new’ titles, most interesting is probably the duet from La boheme with Dino Borgioli. The great Turandot makes a real and largely successful attempt to become Mimi: some charming, delicate and tender touches make this a genuinely valuable extension of the Turner discography. For it, and for the whole enterprise, we have primarily Richard Bebb to thank. As the booklet-notes make plain, he is responsible for the preservation of several of these records, as he was for the organisation of events which enabled Dame Eva in her great old age to enjoy the reflected glory of her career. Through his devotion and the excellent transferring work of Roger Beardsley we can celebrate the career afresh, glad to have all that there is, sorry that it is not more.'