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Historical Record Collection

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Cô Nhơn – Cổ Bản Bằng / Tứ Đại Cảnh

♫ Historical ca Huế vocal recordings on Beka ♫

A French-manufactured 78 rpm document of the refined chamber-music tradition associated with Huế, recorded in 1930 with voice, đờn nguyệt and đờn nhị.

◆ Details

Artist: Cô Nhơn, with Cậu Tôn-Út and Cậu Ba

Title: Điệu Ca Huế – Cổ Bản Bằng / Tứ Đại Cảnh

Label: Beka

Catalogue number: 20 325

Matrices: 92.992 / 92.993

Format: Shellac, 78 rpm, double-sided, electrical recording

Country of repertoire: Vietnam, during the French Indochina period

Recorded: 1930

Manufactured: France by Pathé

Genre: Vietnamese traditional music

Style: Ca Huế

♫ Tracklist

• Side 1: Cổ Bản Bằng – matrix 92.992
• Side 2: Tứ Đại Cảnh – matrix 92.993

Two examples of the ca Huế tradition, presented through the voice of Cô Nhơn with the contrasting sonorities of the plucked đờn nguyệt and bowed đờn nhị. The performance preserves an early recorded example of the intimate chamber-music repertory associated with Huế.

◆ Personnel

• Cô Nhơn – ca, vocal
• Cậu Tôn-Út – đờn nguyệt
• Cậu Ba – đờn nhị

Cô Nhơn is identified in Vietnamese biographical sources as Lê Thị Mùi, born in 1907, and remembered as an important interpreter of ca Huế. She later received first prize at a ca Huế competition held in Huế in 1937.

Cậu Tôn-Út was noted for his đờn nguyệt playing. The đờn nguyệt is a Vietnamese long-necked, moon-shaped plucked lute whose flexible ornamentation is particularly suited to the melodic language of ca Huế.

Contemporary biographical evidence strongly suggests that the musician identified on the label as “Cậu Ba” was Nguyễn Hữu Ba, then a young đờn nhị player. Nguyễn Hữu Ba later became an influential performer, teacher and scholar of Vietnamese traditional music. As the label gives only “Cậu Ba,” this identification should be regarded as highly probable rather than definitive.

◇ Technical details

Recording process: Electrical

Speed: 78 rpm

Material: Shellac

Configuration: Double-sided

Side 1 matrix: 92.992

Side 2 matrix: 92.993

Additional runout marking: M3-32324

Catalogue number: 20 325-1 / 20 325-2

Format: 25 cm (10") shellac, 78 rpm, double-sided, electrical recording

Label: Beka – “DIA BIEN HIEU AN-LO-MAN”

Manufacturing: Made in France by Pathé

◆ Condition

Record condition: EX− — Side 2 has a visible fingernail mark. Playback is graded NM.

The visual mark on Side 2 is clearly disclosed and has been taken into account in the EX− visual grade. Despite this cosmetic mark, playback was assessed at NM level.

◆ Buy with confidence

• Condition described with separate attention to visual appearance and playback
• Catalogue numbers, matrices and personnel carefully checked against the labels
• An early recorded document of Vietnamese ca Huế and its traditional instrumental accompaniment
• Carefully handled and securely packed with particular attention to fragile shellac

◇ Shipping

• Secure and robust packaging specifically suitable for fragile shellac records.
• Combined shipping available for multiple purchases.
• Airmail priority, insured, and tracking number provided.

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Historical Record Collection

We carefully select collectible records for music lovers, historical recording specialists, 78 rpm collectors, analog collectors and audiophiles. Particular attention is given to originality, condition and the historical significance of early recordings.

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◇ Keywords

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