Columbia 78 #384-M - Mantovani Orchestra - "Donkey's Serenade" & "Sympathy"

1925 was the year Columbia switched from the old method of acoustically recorded pressings to the new electric recording process licensed from Western Electric. This company has a long history, dating back to 1888, and was one of the "Big Three" in recording companies, competing with Edison and Victor. They remain the oldest continually used brand name in recorded sound, now owned by Sony Music since 1988.

Leader of the world's most elegant pops orchestra, Annunzio Paolo Mantovani, known as Mantovani, was an Anglo-Italian conductor and light orchestra-styled entertainer with a cascading strings musical signature. His easy listening arrangements are as beloved today for their honesty and simplicity and a reminder what real music was like.

Here is an exceptionally clean and clear sounding pair of instrumental orchestrations on the Columbia Masterworks label. We grade this as excellent. High gloss shows only nominal scuff and scratch marks. Great audio! 

Side CA 16648 features "Donkey's Serenade", and side CA 16653 offers the waltz, "Sympathy". Both melodies are from the operetta, "Firefly" by Rudolf Friml.