ABSTRACT
A cylinder and disc record issued by Nicole Frères, Ltd., a firm that can be traced back to a family of music box makers in Switzerland. The business passed from family hands and was established in Britain in the late 19th century. Music boxes were replaced by Gramophones and Edison phonographs in the London manifestation. In 1901 the firm switched from Gramophone Co. products to those of International Zonophone Co., Berlin. Because of lack of supplies from Germany, Nicole Frères, Ltd., began to make its own records, unbreakable paper-based discs, in seven-and 10-inch sizes. The Nicole Record Co., Ltd., was formed to manufacture the discs. At the close of 1905 cylinder records were made. Nicole had an international repertoire of material, much of it acquired by recording engineer Steve Porter, who journeyed as far as India to make records. In 1906 the Disc Record Co., Ltd., of Stockport, Cheshire, acquired all the Nicole masters, which it used to press shellac records for clients, later on the clients’ own labels. [Catalogue 1971.]
FRANK ANDREWS
American soprano, born in Nashville, Tennessee; her birthdate is usually given as 7 June 1876, but her death record shows age 74, which would place the birthdate ca. 1868. (Encyclopaedia Britannica guesses 1870 as the year of her birth.) She sang in church choirs, then toured for two years with a light opera company. Two of Victor Herbert’s operettas were composed for her, Fortune Teller (1898), and Singing Girl (1899). Her grand opera debut was in Naples as Marguerite, on 6 Dec 1903. She sang Mimi opposite Enrico Caruso at Covent Garden. Her first American appearance was in New York in November 1905, then she toured with the San Carlo Opera Co. From 1909 to 1913 Nielsen sang with the Boston Opera Co. and from time to time with the Metropolitan Opera. Norina in Don Pasquale and Mimi were two Metropolitan roles; but she was overshadowed there by Emmy Destinn, Lucrezia Bori, Frances Alda, and Frida Hempel. She retired from the stage and taught voice in New York, where she died. Nielsen sang with the Alice Nielsen Quartet on Berliner records in the 1890s, and for other labels. She made landmark Berliners in 1898, participating in the first U.S. cast recordings of a musical (Fortune Teller). Her first Victor was “Addio del passato” (#64068; 1907); she had five solos and five duets with tenor Florencio Constantino in the Victor 1917 catalog. A favorite record with collectors is her “Last Rose of Summer” which appeared on Victor #74121 and Columbia #A5283.
