In 2022, a change in the U.S. Copyright law made it possible for the first time to reissue early sound recordings, that were first published before 1923. I considered publishing a sampler CD, with one recording each by many different soloists, but decided, instead, to use my YouTube channel for that, and focus on early Italian mandolin soloists for the first CD. 25 of the 27 tracks have NEVER been reissued, before, and the other 2 are out of print. They were all recorded between 1899 and 1917, but half of them were recorded in 1903 or earlier. All of the Pathe recordings by Angelo Alfieri were first recorded on wax cylinders by 1903, and then acoustically dubbed to discs, some as long as 10 years later.

In addition to hearing 6 different soloists playing their own music, you will also hear 3 different types of instruments. Most of the soloists were playing the Neapolitan mandolin with 4 pairs of strings, but Alfieri played the Milanese mandolin, with 6 single strings, and Leonardi recorded on a banjolin, a 4 string mandolin-banjo. (!)

All recordings are from the personal collection of Neil Gladd, and these are all of the recordings that I have by these artists (that are in the Public Domain). I decided to include everything I had regardless of condition, due to their historical importance, and also not to hold anything back for a second volume. I may do another volume at some time in the future, as I find more records, and more of the records that I have enter the Public Domain.

The CD will be released later in 2023, but the digital album may be available before the end of 2022!

UPDATES! The CD has been mastered. After "finishing" the studio work, I was able to buy a copy of Angelo Alfieri's FIRST recording, from 1899, his "L'Amor Passeggero." To the best of my knowledge, it is the earliest recording by ANY Italian mandolin soloist. I had planned to replace the 1901 recording of this piece with 1899 recording, but decided to include them both, as they are different. In addition to differences in the mandolin part, the 1899 recording is accompanied by a guitar, and all of Alfieri's other recordings were recorded with piano accompaniment.  Currently working on liner notes, written by both myself and mandolin soloist/musicologist, Ugo Orlandi.

GladDiscs GD-001 - Early Italian Mandolin Soloists
PERFORMER	TITLE (COMPOSER)	YEAR	SOURCE RECORDING (10 inch disc unless specified)
Angelo Alfieri (1864-1925)
	L'Amor passeggero (Alfieri)	7/1899	Gramophone 57351 (7 inch disc)
	L'histoire d'un Pierrot, Serenata (Sylvestri)	1902	Disco Zonophono X-1751
	Polka con variazioni [w/ Pno]	7/1901	Gramophone 57368 (7 inch disc)
	Amor segreto (Johann Resch)	1902	Gramophone G.C.57401
	Amor passeggero (Alfieri)	7/1901	Cosmopolitan (7 inch disc) originally Gramophone 57367
	Il Reggimento che passa, march (Eilenberg)	1911	Pathe 82112 (12 inch disc)
	Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod)	1905	Pathe 82101 (cylinder)
	Vaga visione, valzer (Alfieri)	1905	Pathe 80135
	Dopo Il Tramonto, waltz (Alfieri)	1913	Pathe 8058 (A)
	Loin du bal, valse (E. Gillet)	1911	Pathe 82104
	Rabadan, polka (Carlo Rovere)	1911	Pathe 82114 (8.5 inch disc)
Gennaro Volpe (b. 1866, active until 1910)
	Ungarische Tanze, No 2 (Behr)	1902	Gramophone G.C.7379
	Sylvia Ballet: Pizzicato (Delibes)	1902	Gramophone G.C.7377
	Serenade (Volpe) Mandoline Solo	1902	Gramophone G.C.7367 (7 inch disc)
Eduardo Mezzacapo (1870-1942)
	Paris-Marche Pour Mandolines (Mezzacapo)	1913	Ideal 6807 (12 inch disc)
	Marche des Mandolinistes (Mezzacapo)	1913	Ideal 6809 (12 inch disc)
Salvator Leonardi (1872-1938)
	Granada (Garcia)  Marche Espagnole, Avec Piano	1911	Disque Aerophone 1010 (10.5 inch disc)
	Sous La Feuille (F. Thome), Avec Piano	1911	Disque Aerophone 1011 (10.5 inch disc)
	Pendent Qu'Il Pleut, Valse Pour Mandolin (Leonardi)	1911	Disque Aerophone 1009 (10.5 inch disc)
	Mandoline (F. Thome)  Avec Piano	1911	Disque Aerophone 1013 (10.5 inch disc)
	Simple Aveu (F. Thome)  Avec Piano	1911	Disque Aerophone 1012 (10.5 inch disc)
	Souvenir de Sicile, Mazurka Pour Mandolin (Leonardi)	1911	Disque Aerophone 1008 (10.5 inch disc)
Stellario Cambria (1874-1929)
	Invocation (Cambria)	9/20/1917	Edison 50884-R
Raffaele Calace (1863-1934)
	Mazurca Polacca (Calace)  w/ pno	3/71913	Gramophone 287253 (Swedish pressing)
	Souvenir de Nurnberg (Calace) w/ pno	3/71913	Amour Gramophon B 0253 (Russian pressing) (!)
	Ballet des Fees (Calace), w/ pno	1909	Era 422861 (12 inch disc) (from Società Fonografica Napoletana 422861)
	Danza del Nani (Calace), w/ pno	1909	Era 422860 (12 inch disc) (from Società Fonografica Napoletana 422860)

Angelo Alfieri, recorded in July 1899 on a Berliner Disc. His first recording, and the earliest known recording by an Italian mandolin soloist.	Angelo Alfieri, recorded in 1901 on a Berliner Disc.	Recorded in 1902 and originally released on Gramophone 57402, this was one of Alfieri's first 10 inch records.	Alfieri was identified in the Pathe Catalog, but not on the disc. The spoken announcement was for the Anglo-Italian Commerce Company, which Pathe bought in 1903. All of the Pathe recordings were made on wax cylinders 120 years ago and then acoustically dubbed to discs 110 years ago!.
One of the 5 sides that Volpe recorded in London in 1902 for the Gramophone and Typewriter  Ltd.	1913 recording by Mr. and Mrs. Mezzacapo (mandolins) with piano.	Salvator Leonardi recorded 8 sides for Disque Aerophone on the mandolin-(banjo), and others on the banjo.	One of the two sides that Cambria recorded for Edison on 9/20/1917, but the only one to be released.
Raffaele Calace's first recording, recorded in Napoli around 1909.He recorded two records for the label, but this was the only one to be released, and possibly his only record to be released in Italy in his lifetime. I was not aware of the existence of this record until I found one for sale in 2021.My copy is playable, but has a small crack.	Just a few months after buying the original Italian recording in the left, I found this German pressing of the same recording. It was in slightly better condition, and was used for the CD.	Calace's 1913 recording of Souvenir de Nurnberg in a Russian pressing.	A German pressing of Mazurca Polacca to be sold in Sweden.

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