Archipel Records' Nicolai Gedda: The Early Records 1952-1956 is exactly that; selections taken from early EMI LP records made during such a period, heavily gated, filtered, and de-clicked. Its contents are practically identical to the first disc of U.K. EMI's three-disc set Great Moments of Nicolai Gedda, minus an additional Boris Godunov excerpt, arias from Rimsky-Korsakov's May Night, and Adolphe Adam's Le Postillon de Lumanjeau and with the aria from Rousseau's Le devin au village that begins the second disc in EMI's set tacked onto the end. This reflects the point of origin; tracks 1-12 represent the first LP Gedda made for Walter Legge, and the remaining tracks are drawn from sets of operas, whereas the added material on Great Moments of Nicolai Gedda are from outtakes in the EMI vault and, in the case of the Adam, a live recording.
While this is not an illegal reissue -- the limit in Europe for copyright on recordings is 50 years, and all but the Rousseau is well past that milestone -- it is an inferior one. If there was anything on it that was truly unique, Archipel would go out of its way to make you notice. Nevertheless, this package bears not a word of liner notes, and both the dates and backup forces indicated inside clearly establish these tracks as already well-known, long-available EMI studio recordings. While Great Moments of Nicolai Gedda may not be the most easily located of EMI's box sets devoted to opera stars, it is modestly priced, and will get you everything that's on here in the best sound possible, not to mention a heck of a lot more in terms of great Gedda drawn from his entire recording career. If you are genuinely interested in hearing the early recordings of this great tenor, then you owe it to yourself not to be taken in by Archipel's Nicolai Gedda: The Early Records 1952-1956.
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