Description

CHARLES D’ALMAINE (KINGSTON UPON HULL, JUNE 13, 1871 – NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, JUNE 17, 1943)

Charles D’Almaine was born in Kingston upon Hull on June 13, 1871. He grew up an orphan in the London area. At some point he came to the United States and played first violin at the Grand Opera House in Chicago in the 1890s. He married his second wife, Cornelia Helen (d. September 25, 1933, known as “Helen”) on December 24, 1897. After his marriage he stayed in Chicago a short time to teach violin students. In 1898 he relocated to New York City, the only major recording center of the time. One of the earliest violinists to make recordings, D’Almaine’s first (“Miserere”) was recorded in 1899 and released on Edison cylinder #7324. He went to the Berliner Gramophone studios in January and February 1900, where at least 13 of his recordings were issued. When a standing orchestra was established at the Edison studios, D’Almaine was made concertmaster. Beginning his association with the Victor company in 1901, he eventually became concertmaster of the house unit, the Victor Orchestra. He also made recordings for Columbia, where sometimes the pseudonym Charles Gordon was used. His musical duties outside the recording studio included positions at the Metropolitan Opera House. In addition to performing, he also made several violins. In April 1914 he and his wife Helen enrolled at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, where he obtained his Doctor of Chiropractic. He made his final recordings for Pathé Records. He and his wife operated chiropractic practices in New York City and Newark, New Jersey. In addition to his medical duties, he continued his musical career. He was second-violinist with the New York Metropolitan Opera orchestra. for the 1921–1922 season, and was employed there until the 1924–1925 season in the violin section. He was released, having spent 17 years at the Met, when a new conductor brought in many new players he was familiar with. D’Almaine spent the following summer season with the Arthur Pryor band. His last professional musical activity was to tour with Harry Lauder, after which he abandoned music to devote himself to his chiropractic practice. On June 17, 1943 he died, childless, in Newark, and was cremated.

TRACKLIST

1. Le carnaval de Venise Edison 7824
2. Favorite hymns Victor 2804
3. Gems from “Faust” (Gounod) Columbia 31496
4. Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Columbia 27001
5. Brindisi Valse (Alard) Victor 31542
6. The holy city (Adams) Columbia 31492
7. Gavotte from Mignon Victor 2802
8. El miserere from Trovatore (Verdi) Edison 7324
9. Cavatina (Raff) Edison 7633
10. The mocking bird (Winner) Edison 8099
11. Andante from concerto no. 2 (Ch. de Bériot) Victor 16050
12. Spring song (Mendelssohn) Victor 2923
13. Scenes that are brightest Victor 1211
14. Medley of old-time reels Victor 35008
15. Mother Machree (Olcott) Edison 2419
16. Polish national dance Columbia 27014
17. Serenade (Schubert) Edison 7192
18. When I lost you (Berlin) Edison 2131
19. Shepherd’s dance (German) U.S. Everlasting 1115
20. Medley of Irish airs Victor 3336